Love Bites
by GKT0311
Summary: Emma has to leave town due to an emergency with a friend. What happens when she returns with a daughter and fangs? Swanqueen. Rated MA.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Emma laid in bed staring at the ceiling. A lot had happened the past few months. She and Henry had returned to Storybrooke after spending a year in Boston without their memories. They battled Regina's sister and won and now Emma was engaged to Killian. She turned to look at her sleeping fiancé and sighed. He had been badgering her to leave Storybrooke with him on the Jolly Roger because he's had a difficult time adjusting to life there.

Emma quietly got out of bed and put on some yoga pants and a sweatshirt. She tied her sneakers and then used her magic to transport herself to her getaway. In an instant, she disappeared in a cloud of white magic and reappeared in front of an old, upright piano; abandoned in an upstairs room of the clock tower. She sat down on the piano bench and slowly raised the fallboard. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and began playing. Her hands gliding over the ivories, finger tips gently pressing the keys in complicated chords. The song that she chose was Clair de lune by Claude Debussy. Her technique was flawless.

Outside the clocktower, people gathered as they happened to be walking by late that night. They knew about 'The Ghost'. For months, gossip about a piano playing ghost had spread around Storybrooke. Each time someone tried to catch the 'ghost', it would disappear mid-concert. No sheet music was ever seen. Eventually, citizens gave up on catching the ghost and instead, embraced the apparition and simply sat on the sidewalk to enjoy the concerts when given.

Once Emma completed her first song, she seamlessly began the next song; Chopin's Polonaise, Op. 53. Her long fingers made the difficult octaves achievable. Her stress was taken out on the old piano as the wood shook from the crescendos. When she was finished, she was panting and finally felt exhausted enough to get some sleep. She transported back to her house and climbed back into bed where she closed her eyes, dreaming of a better life than one on the sea.

* * *

"I just don't understand why you won't say yes!" Hook was frustrated while they ate breakfast at Granny's. "Is it because of Regina?"

Emma stopped chewing her pancake and looked up at Hook, "What?"

Hook pursed his lips annoyed that he had to repeat the dreaded words, "Is. It. Because. Of. Regina?"

Emma swallowed hard, "What the fuck does that mean? What does Regina have to do with this?" She grabbed her hot cocoa and took a large sip.

"Don't play dumb, Swan. I see how you look at her. You always choose her over me. If she needs help, you're there in a shot. She says jump and you ask how high".

Emma slammed her mug down, "Regina has nothing to do with this so leave her out of it. She's my friend! Why can't you understand that life at sea doesn't appeal to me?"

Hook stood and threw up his hands. He was about to respond when he caught Regina in the corner of his eye walking across the street towards her car. He turned to Emma and slammed his fist against the table before walking out of the diner and marching towards Regina. Emma's back was to the door so she had no idea he left for any other reason than their disagreement.

As Regina grabbed the door handle of her car, she felt a hand forcefully grab her upper arm and spin her around. "This is all your fault. The Evil Queen will always be a thorn in my side.", Hook sneered.

Confused, Regina tried to pull her arm away to no avail, "Let go of me or you'll lose the other hand, Pirate."

"Not this time, Your Majesty."

Emma stared at her pancakes and lost her appetite. She got up and was about to walk over to Ruby when she noticed the altercation across the street. "Ruby, put the breakfast on my tab!" She then ran out the door towards her fiancé.

Hook raised his hook at Regina, "Emma will never be mine until you're out of the picture." Just as the hook came down, Emma jumped in front of Regina to push her out of the way and ended up getting the hook caught in her back.

"NO!" Regina screamed and raised her hand to release a concentrated surge of magic that pushed Hook to the brick wall across the street. He slammed into the wall and passed out when he landed on the pavement.

"Emma! No, No, No, No", Regina looked up at people beginning to gather, "Someone call an ambulance!" She then held Emma in her lap, blood pooling all over her grey pencil skirt.

Ruby ran out of the diner and over the Regina, "I've called the ambulance. They'll be here in five minutes. Should I call Snow and David?"

Regina kept staring at an unconscious Emma and shook her head, "No, I'll call them once we get to the hospital. Could you cuff Hook and get him to the station?"

Ruby looked back at the still pirate, "Shouldn't I take him to the hospital?"

Regina just sneered at Hook, "No. He can deal."

Ruby ran back to the diner to get her cuffs and deal with Hook just as the ambulance arrived.

* * *

"Female, 31 years old, deep laceration to the back. Unconscious since the trauma occurred. Sats are 89%, BP 90/55. Breath sounds absent on the right."

Dr. Whale ran in to treat Emma and turned to Regina, "What the hell happened?"

Regina filled him in and then he had her escorted from the room so he could work.

"Can I get you anything, Mayor Mills?", the nurse asked.

"N..No. Thank you. I need to call her parents." Regina ran her bloody hand through her hair and dug around her purse for her cell phone. Scrolling through her contacts, she found who she was looking for; Thorn in My Side. Clicking the name, the phone rang a couple of times before it picked up, "Hello, Snow. Yes, I'm fine. I'm calling about Emma. She had an accident and is in the hospital."

* * *

"Regina! Where's Emma!" Snow ran down the hallway with Charming in tow.

"I don't know, Snow. They're still working on her. I haven't heard anything yet."

Just then, Dr. Whale walked up, "Regina".

Regina whirled around, "Is she alright?"

Dr. Whale saw Snow and David standing there, "I'm afraid I can't discuss Emma without the family's permission." He winced waiting for Regina to yell.

Luckily, Snow immediately spoke up, "It's alright, Dr. Whale. Please tell us about Emma."

Clearing his throat, he continued, "As you know, Emma had a puncture wound in her back which caused one of her lung lobes to collapse; a condition we call pneumothorax. We removed the excess air from her chest cavity which dramatically improved her breathing. We've taken her into surgery now to treat the wound and check for any additional damage."

Regina spoke up, "Will she be alright?"

Dr. Whale stared at Regina, studying her face. He saw more than just regular concern for a friend, "As long as her heart didn't get damaged then she has a good prognosis. We'll keep her for a few days to watch for infection and make sure that her breathing normalizes. We can also keep her pain levels down while here which will help her rest."

The group nodded in understanding and then watched him walk away to check on Emma in surgery.

"Regina, what happened? Why would Hook do this?" Snow asked confused about the morning's events.

"I honestly don't know, Snow. I was walking to my car when he accosted me. He said something about not being able to have Emma as long as I was around." Regina noticed Snow wince and turn away. '_She knows something._' "Snow? Is there something that I should know?"

Snow snapped up to look at her former stepmother and answered quickly, "NO!" She grabbed her husband, "David, let's go find the cafeteria. Regina, should you call Henry?", and then Snow quickly walked away while directing David out of the hall.

Regina watched Snow rush away, '_You aren't off the hook yet, Snow'_. Since Henry was in school, Regina wasn't going to interrupt him. She'd wait until he was done and pick him up to fill him in. By then, she'd know more about Emma.

* * *

The first thing she heard was the sound of beeping. Constant beeping. '_Where is that coming from?_' Then she heard voices that sounded like they were in a tunnel. '_Who is that?_' The voices grew clearer as she tried to open her eyes. '_Why can't I move? Why won't my eyes open?_' Moaning, she tried again to move her hand and then heard the voices grow louder. "Emma!" '_That sounds like mom and Henry._'

Emma moaned again and tried to move when she felt someone grab her right hand between their hands. '_What a warm feeling. Their hands are so soft. Is that Chanel I smell?_' "Re….gi….na".

Everyone looked at Regina as she held onto Emma's hand while Regina just looked at Emma in shock. "Emma? Emma, it's me, Regina. Please open your eyes. Can you squeeze my hand?" Regina looked down at Emma's hand cradled in hers. Two fingers pressed against her palms. Letting out a huge sigh of relief, Regina laughed as tears fell down her cheeks. "Oh, thank God."

Snow was watching her daughter responding to Regina and then walked over to take Emma's other hand, "Emma. Sweetie. It's Mom. Can you squeeze my hand?" Nothing happened. Dejected, Snow laid Emma's hand back on the bed and excused herself for a minute. She knew things had been strained between her and her daughter. Emma had never fully gotten over what Snow and David did to her as a newborn baby. Couple that with Snow's new pregnancy and Emma began to build her walls up higher. David tried to follow Snow, but she asked to be left alone and walked out of the room.

Henry then approached his biological mother and held her hand, "Hey, Ma. I really need you to be ok. No one else can challenge me on Mario Kart. I also need your advice with Grace so you need to wake up."

Regina cocked one eyebrow, wondering if Henry was merely trying to get a rise out of Emma. She'd have to ask him more about Grace later. '_Does he confide in Emma more than he does me_?'

Emma's face scrunched up and she squinted her eyes as they slowly opened. "Henry."

Everyone smiled and Henry leaned over to carefully hug his blonde mother, "I'm so glad you're awake. I was so worried." He allowed tears to fall since his face was buried in Emma's gown.

Emma slowly lifted her left arm to wrap around Henry. It was painful, but she needed to comfort her son. "I'm alright, Henry.", she whispered. He simply nodded while still buried in her chest. Emma then looked to her right to see Regina, "Hey."

Regina smiled, "Hey, yourself. How are you feeling?"

"My back really hurts on the right side. I'm afraid to take a deep breath or move my right arm. Are you ok?

"What?! Am I ok? Emma, you're in the hospital after taking a hook to the back. Why on earth would you be asking me that?" Regina was dumbfounded at Emma's priorities.

"Because I need to know if he hurt you." Emma answered matter-of-factly.

Regina swallowed the lump in her throat, "You saved me, Emma. I'm so sorry. I should have used magic on him before he could hurt you. This is my fault."

Emma tried to shake her head, but it hurt too much, "No, it's not. I'm the fool that accepted his proposal. I'm such an idiot." Tears filled Emma's green eyes and she struggled to hold them off, but they simply filled until they spilled over the edges of her eyes and down her face. "I wanted to make everyone happy. My parents said he was my happy ending. He said I was his happy ending. I was trying to do the right thing." She continued to sob.

David remained silent as he listened and guilt took over his face. He shuffled in place while putting his hands in his pockets. He then cleared his throat and walked over to his daughter while staring at the floor, "Hey, Sweetie. I'm so sorry we put that pressure on you. That was never our intention. We just wanted you to be happy and we thought we were doing the right thing."

Regina glared at David, but kept her mouth shut. She knew it was Emma's decision on how to handle this. Emma then looked around and then back to her dad, "Where's Mom?"

"Um. She stepped out for a minute, but was going to come back. I'll go find her. She'll want to know that you're awake." He then hurried out of the room to find Snow and escape the awkward setting.

After Charming left, Henry turned to his mother's right arm concerned, "Mom, can you move your right arm and hand?"

Emma knew what he was concerned about. He was the only one who knew the true identity of the ghost. "It hurts too much to try right now."

Nodding, Henry then swallowed and held his mother's left hand a little tighter.

"Henry, can I have a moment in private to speak with your mother?", Regina asked.

"Sure, Mom. Just come and get me. Would you like some coffee? I'll go to the cafeteria and get some."

"That would be great, Henry. Thank you." Regina smiled at her son. She was so proud at how mature and considerate he was.

Once Henry stepped out, Regina kept hold of Emma's hand and allowed her magic to flow into Emma. The warmth spread across Emma's body and she began to feel her pain subside. She looked to Regina who had her eyes closed in concentration. When she was finished, Regina opened her eyes and released her hold on Emma's right hand. Emma slowly raised her right arm, fully anticipating the pain to come, but it never did.

She smiled and then looked to Regina, "What did you do?", she asked while opening and closing her right fist in a test.

"I healed the more superficial wounds. I was able to heal the muscle tissue and skin, but your lungs and other internal organs will need to heal on their own. I don't trust myself to try to fix what I can't see."

Emma took her first deep breath and while a little painful, it was so much easier now. "Thank you so much, Regina." She smiled and then closed her eyes to take additional deep breaths.

"Emma, what happened out there? What was Hook talking about?"

Emma's expression grew serious. Regina could tell there was fear in her eyes. Emma tried to look away, but Regina grabbed her chin and gently turned it so that Emma was looking into her eyes. "Tell me."

The door to Emma's room flew open and Robin rushed in, "Regina! Are you alright? I heard what happened in town from the dwarves." He rushed over and pulled Regina into a tight hug. Emma rolled her eyes and looked away. She had no desire to watch this.

Regina patted Robin on the back as he kissed her up and down and then pulled back to look her over and check for injuries. "I'm fine, Robin. Emma saved me." He then turned to Emma who was staring out her window.

"Oh, Emma. How are you feeling?" Robin grew uncomfortable and wrapped an arm around Regina's shoulders while kissing her temple.

"I'm doing much better, Robin. Thanks for asking." Emma then addressed Regina, "I'm feeling kind of tired. Would you mind if I got some rest?" Her voice was monotone, her face lacking emotion.

"Not at all. We can catch up another time then." Regina nodded and then stared at Emma for a few more seconds. Emma just kept looking out her window and then closed her eyes as if to make the point. Regina got the hint and walked out with Robin to go and find Henry.

* * *

A month later, Emma was doing considerably better. She was back at work, but was now avoiding Regina. She had no desire to finish their conversation from the hospital. Hook was still in jail and awaiting trial which was a relief to Emma as she was able to sleep in her own bed without worry of him coming home.

She had just arrived home from her shift at the department and was feeling frustrated. Her parents were skittish around her these days, her fiancé was crazy, and she was avoiding Regina. She was in a slump. She needed to decompress. Looking at the clock, it was 6:00pm. A grin spread on her face and she flexed her fingers as she transported herself to the piano in the clock tower. She'd never played this early in the day, but she had been away from the piano since her accident. She needed this.

Her foot on the pedal, she began playing the first movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. She closed her eyes and allowed the music to overtake her. People getting off work had heard the music and gathered on the sidewalk. Some took chairs out of the library and sat outside to listen.

About 8 minutes into the song, Regina happened to be walking by and noticed the crowd. "What's everyone doing here?", she asked Marco who was sitting in a chair with his eyes closed.

"The ghost is playing again! Isn't it wonderful?"

Regina stood and watched as more and more people gathered to enjoy the concert. She looked up to the clock tower and stared as if the ghost would reveal itself. She had never heard the ghost play, but had heard stories. '_Incredible. Whoever this is…they're amazing_!'

Minutes later, the third movement of the Sonata began. Regina could sense the emotions behind the playing. While intense, their technique was light and flawless. When the song ended, Regina's eyes opened and she felt so relaxed. '_Who is this? I'm going to find out_.' Regina decided to use her magic to teleport to the top of the tower and catch the virtuoso. She instantly appeared in the piano room, but it was empty, save for remnants of magic. Walking over the piano, Regina studied the scene. '_There are not many magic users in this town so that narrows it down_.' She then looked in the piano bench for sheet music, but found none. '_This person is playing by memory?_' Giving up her search, she transported back to her house to get dinner ready for Henry that evening.

"That was too close. Guess I won't be playing that early in the day from now on." Emma talked to herself while microwaving some leftover pizza. Just then, her cell phone rang and when she looked to see who was calling, a smile grew on her face.

"Well hey, stranger! How are you?"

A frail voice answered on the other end, "Not good, Emma."

Emma's color paled when she heard the woman's sickly voice with a slurred speech, "What's wrong, Audrey?"

"I had a stroke, Em. When they did further testing, they found a tumor in my brain.", her voice cracked as she explained to Emma.

"Oh God. Audrey. What can I do? You need someone to help you." Emma knew she had no one. All her family members were dead and gone. The Music Hall was left to Audrey in her father's will, but she had struggled to keep it afloat. Emma knew that if she had a stroke, she could no longer perform and keep the band going. "I'll come to Boston to take care of you. You did so much for Henry and I. I won't turn my back on you now."

All Emma heard was croaks and hiccups on the other end. She knew Audrey had lost her composure. "Emma, I hate asking you to do this. You have a life now in Storybrooke and I can't ask you to leave Henry."

Emma rolled her eyes at that, "He can visit any time he wants and he'll understand because you are family to us. We love you, Hon." Emma's eyes slowly teared up as she swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to keep her voice steady.

"Ok, Em. Thank you. Really."

Emma could tell Audrey had felt a weight was lifted knowing she had help on the way.

"I'll let everyone know and ask for an indefinite leave from work. Hopefully I can leave in the next 24 hours. Call me if you need anything, okay?"

"I will, Em. Thank you." Audrey sniffled and hiccuped some more.

After ending the call, Emma quickly called Henry and filled him in. "I want to go with you, Ma. I can help."

Emma smiled at that, "I know, Henry, but you need to stay here with your mother. You have school and your mother needs you here. I promise I will call you if I need anything. Maybe Regina will let you visit." Emma then grew more serious, "Henry, is Regina home this evening? I need to fill her in and tell her I'm leaving indefinitely."

"Yeah, she's home. She's just working on paperwork in her study right now. You may as well pop in now since you need to leave quickly. I'll let her know that you're coming."

Emma cringed, knowing Regina was probably not too happy with her right now, "Thanks, Kid. I'll see you shortly."

* * *

20 minutes later, Emma was knocking on the door at 108 Mifflin. When the door swung open, a stone-faced Regina stood staring at Emma unamused, "To what do I owe this late-night visit, Ms. Swan?"

'_Ms. Swan, eh? You must be really pissed at me._' I'm sorry to bother you, Regina, but an emergency has come up and I need to leave town for a while.

Regina's body stiffened at this, "Please come in, Sheriff." Regina opened the door wider to invite Emma in and then silently walked to her study assuming Emma would follow.

"Have a seat, Ms. Swan. Would you like something to drink?"

"Oh. Um. No thank you. I can't stay too long. I have to pack."

Regina bristled at this, "Yes, you mentioned having to leave town. What happened?"

Emma shuffled in her spot on the couch and looked down at her hands, "A dear friend of mine called me this afternoon and said she had stroke and they found a brain tumor. She doesn't have any family. Henry and I are her closest family so I would like to leave to help take care of her. I don't know how long I'll be gone though, but I need to do this for her. She did so much for me when I was younger and she helped Henry and I when we were gone that year."

Regina stood up and poured herself a generous glass of cider before she spoke, "And what about your family? What about Henry? What about your job?" Regina was glaring at Emma.

Feeling like she was under a microscope, Emma played with her fingers and gripped the couch cushions tight until her knuckles were white, "Henry is aware of what's going on. He wanted to come, but I told him to stay here and maybe you'd allow him to visit her some time. David can be the interim sheriff."

Regina nodded in agreement, "You didn't mention your parents."

Emma looked away at that, "I think it'll be good to get away and give them and myself a break."

Regina stared at Emma and studied her expression. "It sounds like you've got everything covered then."

Emma turned back to Regina and nodded and then stood up, "Well, I best get going so that I can pack. Thank you for being so understanding."

Before she could walk out of the study, Regina addressed her again, "Emma, wait!" Emma stopped and turned around, "Did you take piano lessons as a child?"

Emma snorted at this, "In foster care? Yeah right. I can't read a note to save my life." She then turned around to continue to the front door.

"Not so fast, Emma." Regina walked up to Emma and stood directly in front of her, "You still owe me an explanation about Hook's behavior. What did he mean when he said what he said to me?"

Emma swallowed hard and her eyes grew wide. She continued to look into deep caramel colored irises. "It doesn't matter, Regina. Just let it go. It's over." Emma turned to leave, but was grabbed by Regina.

"No. I want an answer."

Sensing that Regina wasn't going to let this go, Emma weighed her options. She could tell Regina and then leave town. She'd get it off of her chest, but wouldn't have to face the consequences because she'd be gone and Regina could live happily ever with Robin. Or, she could lie and piss Regina off even more. Either way, she'd anger the former queen.

Emma being Emma decided 'what the hell' and grabbed Regina's face and pulled her in for a deep kiss. Those soft, plump red lips were glorious to Emma. A dream come true. Both women were so caught up that they failed to notice the white circle of magic that was emitted from their bodies. Emma pulled back and ran out the door leaving Regina in shock and speechless. She touched her lips where Emma's lips had just been and felt a tingle.

"Mom! Robin is on the phone!" Henry called from his room upstairs causing Regina to snap out of her haze.

"Ok! I'll pick up the phone down here." Regina slowly walked back to her study and picked up the phone receiver with shaky hands, "Hi, Robin."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Emma, I don't understand why you're still there? Can't you come home yet?" Snow was frustrated with her daughter. Emma had been gone for 3 months now. She was hurt when Emma had described Audrey like a mother before she left.

"I can't come home. I'm helping Audrey and I won't leave her. She needs help to keep her business afloat and needs help going to her doctors' appointments. She can't even do simple tasks like clean house or cook!" Emma was frustrated with Snow's nagging which had started the day Emma left Storybrooke.

"How are you able to help her with her business?", Snow kept pressing.

Running her hands through her blonde curls, Emma took a deep breath to try and stay calm, "It's difficult to explain, but I'm the best person for the job. Besides…", suddenly Emma felt nauseous and dropped the phone to run to the nearest trash can. Snow could hear the retching on the phone.

"Emma? Are you okay?", Snow kept asking, hoping would Emma would pick up the phone again.

When Emma was done, she looked over at the phone across the room and heard her mother asking for her. Wiping her mouth with her sleeve, she slowly stood up and gingerly made her way over the phone while holding her stomach.

"I'm gonna have to call you back. I'm not feeling so well."

"Ok, Honey. Just let me know when…" and Snow as cut off by the sound of the call ending. Staring at her cell, she debated on calling back, but knew that would just push Emma further away.

"Emma? Oh my. You don't look so good." Audrey had heard Emma and made her way slowly into the room with her walker.

"So, what you're saying is that I look as good as I feel. Ugh." Emma laid down on the couch.

Audrey slowly sat down next to Emma and put her hand on Emma's forehead. "Well, you're a little warm, but that could be from all the vomiting. I think you should make an appointment with the doctor. You've been having these vomiting spells for a week now."

Emma had her arm over her eyes, "No. It's probably just a bug."

Audrey stared at Emma and debated on whether to say what she was thinking. She finally looked down and took Emma's hand into hers, "Em, do you think you may be pregnant?"

Emma's body stiffened and she swallowed hard. '_Oh, God. It's possible. I was with Killian a few months ago_.'

Audrey noticed the color leave Emma's face, "Em, it'll be alright. We can get through this together. You're taking care of me and I can help take care of you."

Tears began to fall down Emma's cheeks. Audrey knew Emma had left her fiancé, but she had no idea why. She just knew that it was ugly. "Emma, talk to me. What are you thinking?"

With her lips trembling, Emma tried to get the words out, "Um, if I'm pregnant then it'll be his. What am I gonna do? He can't know about this!"

"Calm down. First thing you need to do is go to the store and get a pregnancy test. Let's not jump to conclusions just yet."

Emma finally moved her arm from her eyes and nodded to her friend.

"Positive. Shit." Emma grabbed her belly and looked at it intensely. "You may have his DNA, but you are mine. We will be just fine, little one." Emma's eyes grew moist. She walked out to where Audrey was sitting and waiting and then held up the stick, "Positive." She then flopped onto the couch next to her friend.

Audrey just patted her legs, "This will be good for us, Em. A baby will break the monotony of my cancer. It'll give us something to smile about."

"Speaking of, when is your next chemo scheduled? I need to schedule an appointment with the OB and want to work around your appointment."

Audrey smiled at her friend's consideration, "It's next Monday at 9am."

"Ok. I'll go look up an OB in the area and schedule an appointment. Did you want to come with me?" Emma bit her lip and hoped her friend was up for the trip. She needed the support.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Audrey then kissed Emma's cheek and gave her a hug. "Are you going to let your family know?"

Emma cringed, "I'm going to hold off. It's still too early in the pregnancy and my mother isn't known for keeping secrets. Besides, Killian is still in jail there and I don't want word of it reaching him."

Audrey nodded, but kept silent. She knew what a touchy subject Killian was.

Emma got up from the couch, "How about I start lunch? What sounds good to you?"

Audrey turned green, "Em, you know my taste buds are messed up with this chemo. Nothing sounds good."

Emma stared at her friend and tried to think of something, "I know. You said cinnamon was the only thing that tasted really good. How about I make some cinnamon toast? I can make some ginger tea to help." Audrey nodded and then Emma left to go to the kitchen. Audrey looked back down at her hand and noticed a drop of blood on it. Raising her hand, she realized that she had a nose bleed and quickly grabbed a tissue to cover it up.

The next day, Emma's cell phone rang, "Hello?"

"Hey, Emma. Is now a bad time?"

"No, it's fine, David. What's up?

David hesitated, his voice seemed shaky, "Um, the reason I'm calling is about Killian. He escaped, Emma."

"WHAT?! Please tell me this is a sick joke." Emma began pacing around the living room. Audrey had walked in after hearing the yelling.

"I'm so sorry. We don't know how he did it. When I came into the department, the cell was empty. I ran to the docks, but the Jolly Roger was gone."

"Fuck! FUCK!" Emma threw her phone across the room watching it smash against the wall. Her hands ran through her hair as she paced and then she drove her fist through the dry wall next to her.

"Emma! That's enough!" Audrey was too weak to approach Emma, but tried to stop her with her words. "Come over here! Sit down. NOW!"

Emma had felt thoroughly scolded and immediately sat down next to Audrey. "He escaped from jail. What if he finds me?"

"Hey, we'll be ready then. We'll let everyone know at the studio and have all eyes on the lookout. He won't get anywhere near you or the baby." Emma nodded and laid her head on Audrey's shoulder.

"Push, Emma! You're almost done. Just one more push. Audrey cheered from her wheelchair and their friend, Sean, held Emma's hand and rubbed her back.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Emma gave it all she had and within seconds, she heard the sound that she longed to hear; a baby's cry.

"You did it!" Sean hugged Emma and kissed the top of her head while Audrey grabbed Emma's right hand and squeezed it.

The nurses cleaned the baby up and brought her back to Emma, "Time to meet your Mommy", the nurse told the infant. She gently placed the baby in Emma's arms.

"She's beautiful, Em. Well done." Audrey choked out between happy sobs. "What name have you decided on?"

Emma looked down at her daughter and kissed her head full of dark curls, "Everyone, meet Tristan Grace Swan."

A collective "Awww" was heard around the room while the doctor cleaned Emma up.

Later that night, Emma fell asleep while Sean stayed awake and watched over his new goddaughter. When Emma went into labor, Sean had the hospital list Emma under an assumed name just in case her ex tried to find her. Because of this, Emma was able to sleep soundly after such a trying day.

"You need to get some sleep, Sean." Audrey whispered from her cot in the room.

"I know, but I can't. I just love them both so much. Emma is like a daughter to us." He stared at the sleeping blonde. "I wonder if Tristan has inherited Emma's gift."

Audrey looked over to Emma and then to the sleeping infant in the bassinet, "Emma has a rare gift so I'd be surprised, but if she did, it would be amazing."

Sean nodded in agreement, "I've always been jealous of her talent. To be able to play any instrument by ear like a professional is incredible. And here I took years of lessons just to play my violin."

Audrey snorted, "It's sickening. I remember when she first came to my studio when she ran away. 7 years old and played the exact song she heard me play minutes earlier. I was speechless. I'm still left speechless when I watch her. She's like the Rainman of music."

"Can Henry do what she does?"

Audrey shrugged, "He never showed any interest in playing an instrument so I'm unsure if he has her gifts."

Sean nodded and then stared back at Emma, "She still hasn't told her family about the baby, has she?"

Shaking her head, Audrey looked at the floor and closed her eyes, "She's terrified. I can't help, but think there's something she's trying to avoid back in Storybrooke, but she refuses to talk about her life back there."

"Does she at least still keep in contact with Henry?", Sean inquired.

"She does. They talk just about every day. Sometimes they FaceTime and other times it's just regular calls. She's always cautious not to show her full body though."

"Good. Henry's a good kid. I bet he's so big now. I haven't seen him since they moved."

Audrey laughed, "He's huge! I wonder who would be taller now; you or Henry."

Both laughed and then stared at the sleeping baby.

"Get some sleep, Aud. We'll take our girls home tomorrow and you'll need your energy.", Sean winked. Audrey just smiled and then laid back down and closed her eyes.

Four years later, Emma had the Music Hall at its most successful. Because of the success, Audrey had enough money for her radiation, chemo, and surgeries. The doctors had given her a year to live, but she beat the odds. The cancer was now in remission and there was no medical explanation as to why. Audrey and Emma knew better.

"I'm thirsty, Mommy.", Tristan tugged on Emma's dress slacks. They were at the Music Hall listening to auditions for a new trumpet player. Sitting in the middle of auditorium in the velvet recliners were Emma and Tristan while Sean escorted musicians on and off the stage for their try-outs.

"I know, Sweetie. Look in Mommy's lunch tote for a bag and we'll put some in your cup."

Tristan put her iPad down that she was playing games on and went digging into Emma's insulated lunch tote. "Here ya go, Mommy." Tristan pulled out a bag of blood and handed it to Emma and transferred the contents to a child's cup for her daughter. Being seated in the middle of the auditorium gave them privacy since there were 10 rows of chairs in front of them.

Tristan drank it eagerly and quickly went back to her iPad game while Emma listened to the auditions. "That guy just missed a note, Mommy."

Emma turned to her daughter and smiled, "Yes he did, Sweetheart. Good ear!"

By the end of the day, Emma was stiff from sitting for so long. "Hey, Turkey!" Sean yelled from the stage.

"I'm not a Turkey! I'm a Tristan, Mac!" Sean loved getting a rise out of the child this way. She called him Mac because Sean was difficult for her to pronounce when she was a year old. Since his last name was McCloud, it just made sense.

"Are you sure you're not a turkey?"

Tristan just giggled and then ran up to Sean and launched herself into his arms.

"Ohhh I guess you're right. You are a Tristan. What was I thinking?" Sean stared into her emerald green eyes. "Emma, you're gonna have your hands full when this one gets older with all the boys chasing her."

Emma snorted, "Don't I know it."

It was then that Emma's cell phone went off and she saw that it was Henry, "Hey, Kid! How are you?"

"Not so good, Ma. Grandpa Rumple passed away today. They said it was a heart attack."

"What?! Oh no!" Emma was in shock. Even though Rumple was no longer a Dark One, she always thought that he'd live forever. "Henry, I'm so sorry. I know how much you loved your grandfather. How are you holding up? How is Belle?"

"Belle is having a difficult time, but Ruby is helping her out. As for me, I just wish you were here. Can you come home?"

Emma's heart raced, "Henry, you know about Tristan. How am I going to explain that? And what about Killian? We still don't know where he is!" Henry had visited several times after Tristan was born and promised to keep her a secret for their safety.

"I know, Ma, but don't you think it's time to tell everyone about her? You have magic and once you're here, you'll be able to use it again to protect her. Besides, Grandpa left a will and Belle said that you're in it which means you need to come."

'_Shit._' Emma swallowed hard, "Ok, kid. I'll come, but I need to make arrangements first."

"YES!"

"Henry, I need you keep my return quiet. I don't want to make this a big deal. Your grandparents will be furious enough as it is when they find out I've kept Tristan a secret. I just need to think about how best to approach them."

"Ok, Ma. Can I at least tell Mom that you're coming home?"

'_Home. That's not my home_.' "Sure, Kid. It's not like she cares anyway." Emma huffed.

"Ma. You know that's not true. She asks about you all the time." Henry knew of Emma's feelings towards his other mother. He witnessed the True Love's kiss magic when they kissed all those years ago, but when he tried to tell Regina, she wouldn't hear it.

"Whatever, Kid. Look, I'm still at the Music Hall. I'll call you later this evening once I have my travel arrangements made."

"Ok, Ma, sounds good. Give Doodlebug a hug for me." Tristan had so many nicknames and that was Henry's for her.

Emma just smiled at that, "Will do. Love you."

"Love you, too, Ma. Bye!", and the call ended.

Emma looked at her daughter being tossed into the air by Sean and giggling. '_Your life is about to change, Sweetie, and I'm so sorry_.'


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Are you sure you'll be okay, Audrey?" Emma was nervous about leaving for Storybrooke and hated to leave her friend.

"I'm fine, Em, thanks to you. Ever since I took your bite, I've regained most of my original function back. It's incredible! I can't thank you enough." Audrey flexed her biceps for Emma to make her point.

Emma looked down, "Don't get me wrong, Aud, I'm so happy that I could help you, but I hate the way I had to do it. I'm so bitter over my attack while I was pregnant. Now my child relies on blood. If I ever find that son of a bitch, I'll kill him."

Walking up to the blonde and grabbing her arms, Audrey then used her thumb and index finger to lift Emma's chin towards her, "I know, Sweetie, but remember what I always taught you; things always happen for a reason."

Emma gave a small smile, "I know, I know. I just didn't get a choice in this, but like I said, I'm so glad that it benefited you. I would've been lost without you." Emma then looked at her sleeping daughter, "I'm still worried about Killian. If he finds out what she is, I wouldn't put it past him to destroy her, thinking she was a monster."

Audrey walked up to her, "Would you like me to come with you? Two badass vamps are better than one.", Audrey winked which caused the blonde to laugh out loud.

"You can't leave the Music Hall, can you?"

Audrey scoffed, "Don't be silly. Thanks to you, the Hall is a well-oiled machine. Sean can manage things while I'm gone. I'll just tell him that I'm taking a much-deserved vacation."

Emma barreled into Audrey and buried her face in the crook of Audrey's neck, "Oh my God, I'd love it if you'd come. I need all the support I can get. I really don't want to go back." Audrey felt her collar getting wet from Emma's tears so she rubbed Emma's back and held her tighter.

"I know, Hon. We'll take care of our little girl." She kissed Emma's head, "Now go finish packing. I'll go call Sean." Audrey left the room while Emma went to pack Tristan's clothes.

Three hours later, Emma was loading up her white Jeep Grand Cherokee. She had finally traded in the bug when she had Tristan so that she'd have a safe family car. Emma, being Emma, tricked it out with the custom rims, beige Italian leather, and premium sound system with DVD player. "I think we're ready to go."

"You've got all of Tristan's games and movies? We don't need to hear 'are we there yet'.", Audrey snickered.

Emma chuckled and rolled her eyes, "Oh yeah, we're set. I'll bet you $20 we don't hear those words at all."

Audrey shook Emma's hand, "You're on, Swan." Audrey then walked over to Tristan where she was playing on her glider bike, "Time to go, Tris."

"We're going to see Henry now?"

"Yes, baby girl. Let's put your bike in the car so we can take it with us."

Once everyone was loaded up, they were off to Maine. Emma packed a 'goodie bag' for the road trip so when Tristan began to get bored, she'd drag out a new game and some treats to tide her over.

Four and half hours later, Emma was pulling into the driveway of her old house. "Well, here we are!" She looked in the back seat to find Tristan fast asleep.

"What an adorable house, Em!" Audrey got out of the car looked around and took in the surroundings, "It seems someone has been taking care of the place in your absence." She noticed the yard was well kept and when they entered the home, there was very little dust.

Emma looked around confused, "Yeah. Weird." Then Emma had a horrible thought and froze, "You don't think Killian has been here, do you?"

Audrey pat Emma's shoulder and looked at her sympathetically, "No, Sweetie. I imagine your family has been caring for the place. We can check around just to make sure nothing is out of place though.

After looking around and getting settled in, Emma was more comfortable. "Why don't we go get something to eat? I'll call Henry to meet us there."

"Yay! Henry!" Tristan was excited to see her big brother.

"Em, aren't you going to call your parents?", Audrey asked. She knew Emma was putting it off.

"Um, yeah, okay. I'll call them and then we can go." Emma grabbed her cell and then walked out onto the back porch and sat in the porch swing. With a heavy sigh, she dialed their number, "Hey, Mom. Yeah, I heard from Henry. Actually, I just arrived in Storybrooke." Emma pulled the phone from her ear because Snow was screaming in excitement. After the screaming stopped, Emma got back on the phone, "Calm down, Mom. NO! Don't come over. I'll come by tomorrow. Yes, I promise. I just want to get a bite to eat and then come home and relax. It's been a long day. Yeah. Okay. I'll see you tomorrow." Emma clicked the End button and stared at her phone. '_They wouldn't come to Granny's would they?_' "Argh!"

"Went that well?", Audrey joked as she walked out with Tristan.

"I called and told them I'd see them tomorrow. Hopefully they stick to that.", Emma looked at her daughter, "Ready to eat, Tris?"

The little girl yawned, she was fading after the long car ride, "Yes, Mommy."

"Ok, I've texted your brother to meet us there. Let's go!"

When the diner bell dinged, everyone to turned to look and see who walked in, "Emma! Oh my God!" Ruby ran up to her friend and wrapped her arms around Emma's neck. "I've missed you so much!"

Emma held her friend, "I've missed you too, Rubes."

Ruby pulled back and saw the little girl holding Emma's hand, "And who is this beautiful, princess?", Ruby used her finger to tap the little girl's nose and Tristan just giggled before hiding her face in her mother's jeans.

Emma swallowed hard, knowing that gossip was about to be spread, "This is my daughter, Tristan.", Emma's voice shook and Audrey walked up and placed her hand on Emma's shoulder for support.

"Get out! Your daughter? Emma! How did I not know this? I'm gonna kill Snow."

"Ruby, Snow didn't know.", Emma looked away in shame.

Ruby was speechless. She then noticed the woman behind Emma who walked up and held out her hand, "Hi, I'm Audrey. It's nice to meet you." Ruby shook her hand still dumbstruck. She then looked at the little girl again and took in her dark chocolate locks, emerald green eyes, and olive toned skin.

"Holy shit! Emma! She's Regina's?"

"WHAT?! NO! Why would you say that?"

Ruby's jaw was slack, "Seriously, Em? She's Regina's mini-me! The only thing that's 'you' is her green eyes!"

Emma looked down at her daughter and then picked her up and hugged her tighter, "Regina and I were never together, Rubes. Besides, two women can't make a child last I checked.", Emma snapped.

Ruby cringed. She knew Regina was a sore subject for Emma. Any idiot could see how Emma looked at her when she lived here and any idiot could see that Emma still harbored feeling for the brunette.

"I'm sorry, Em. I didn't mean to upset you. Why don't we get your family seated?"

Emma nodded and then added, "Henry will also be joining us."

"Oh perfect! Right this way then, Ladies." Ruby showed them to the booth in the back to give them some privacy.

A few minutes later, the bell dinged and Henry stood at the entrance where he hollered, "Doodlebug!"

That got Tristan's attention and she flew out of the booth and towards Henry, "Henry!".

Henry caught his little sister and spun her around while they laughed and then he pulled her in for a giant hug while still holding her. "I've missed you so much! Look how big you are!"

"Mommy says I'll be as big as her soon!"

"Wow, really? Do you think you'll be bigger than me?", Henry grinned as he asked.

"Yes!", she giggled at her big brother. "I'll be able to reach that bell!", Tristan pointed to the bell above the door.

"Wow! That's really big! How about we go sit down with Mom?" Henry lowered his sister and she ran back over to Emma. The patrons eating took all this information in and Leroy who had remained silent in the corner, snuck out through the back to tattle to Snow.

Henry walked over and hugged his mother's neck, "Hey, Ma. Thanks for coming. I'm so glad that you're here." He then noticed Audrey, "Hey, Audrey! I didn't expect to see you here!" He looked at his mom wondering what she was thinking bringing a stranger to this town.

Emma rolled her eyes, "It's alright, Henry, she knows everything."

Henry studied his mother in shock and then turned to Audrey, "You believe Ma?"

Audrey just smiled, "I do. A lot happened in Boston which convinced me.", and she left it at that.

Henry scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion and turned to his blonde mom who looked away, refusing to explain her comment. '_I'll find out what you're hiding, Ma. I always do._'

The group had a nice meal and Tristan was treated to her first Granny's cheeseburger and hot chocolate. "This is yummy, Mommy!" The sound of glass shattering could be heard behind the group. Emma whirled around to see Snow standing there with Charming and their five-year-old son, Neal. Snow had grabbed a glass of water when she walked in before walking over to Emma.

"Mom! What are you doing here?", Emma stood up and slowly approached Snow.

After gathering herself, Snow's expression grew angry, "I came here to see my daughter who hasn't visited in four years." The diner was silent except for the sound of the bell from customers entering and exiting. "I came because I was told I had a granddaughter that I didn't know about." Emma winced at that. "I came because I refused to believe that my own daughter would keep something that important from me." Snow's voice slowly grew louder.

Tristan became scared and grabbed onto Henry who was standing by the booth so Henry lifted her up and walked over. 

"How could you, Emma? Do you hate us that much?"

"NO! I had my reasons which I don't feel like discussing in a public setting. I was going to tell you tomorrow when I came over. This isn't the time or place, Snow. I'm exhausted and so is my daughter. We just want to have a peaceful meal and then rest."

Snow looked behind Emma to see Tristan in Henry's arms so she walked past Emma to meet her granddaughter. After seeing Snow yell at her mother, Tristan had no desire to meet the short brunette woman.

"Hey, Sweetheart. I'm Snow. I'm your grandma." Snow started to reach out to touch Tristan, but the girl screamed and turned away in Henry's arms.

"NO! Don't touch me! Gams! Gams!"

Audrey shuffled out of the booth and ran over to take Tristan into her arms where the little girl buried her face. "It's alright, Tris. I've got ya." She rubbed Tristan's back and kissed the top of her head as she rocked side to side on her feet. "Tris, it's okay. She didn't mean to yell at Mommy. She'd really like to meet you, Hon. Why don't you show her your pretty little eyes for me?", Audrey gently encouraged.

Tristan kept her head lying on Audrey's shoulder, but turned her face towards Snow and when they made eye contact, Snow gasped, "She's Regina's?"

"What? No! Not again. I'll tell you the same thing I told Ruby. She's not Regina's. We were never together. She chose Forest Boy, remember? And again, I'll remind you that two women can't make a baby!", Emma was trying to keep her voice down while angry whispering, but the volume kept rising with her frustration.

Snow kept staring at the little girl, "She's beautiful, Emma. She has your eyes."

Charming and Neal walked up to stand with Snow, "What's your name, Princess?", Charming asked the little girl.

Tristan just stared at the trio and kept silent so Audrey answered for her, "This is Tristan. Tristan Grace Swan."

Snow's eyes filled with tears, "That's a beautiful name, Tristan. This is Neal. He's your…uncle." Neal waved, but Tristan remained silent.

"Hi, Tristan. You wanna play?", Neal asked while smiling.

Tristan just stared at Neal and kept her vice-like grip on Audrey while Audrey just stared at the Charmings. '_I can't believe I'm meeting these storybook characters._'

Emma pulled Snow and Charming away from her daughter to speak with them, "This was what I was trying to avoid. I was going to introduce you to her tomorrow and explain everything. Now, instead, you've upset my daughter!", Emma snapped.

"I'm sorry, Emma, but when Leroy told me you were in the diner with your daughter and that she was Regina's, I had to come."

"I beg your pardon." A smoky voice said from behind the group. Emma knew that voice.

She turned around to come face to face with Regina and Robin. "Regina!...and Robin. Hey."

"Eloquent as ever, Ms. Swan."

Ruby had been standing behind the counter, leaned over on her elbows, where she turned to Granny, "This is better than television." Granny stayed silent and nodded while eating some fries. Occasionally, Granny would put her nose in the air to smell. She had sensed something different with Emma, Tristan and Audrey. They didn't smell right. They smelled like predators. They smelled like something Granny didn't want anywhere near her. She turned back to her granddaughter to see if Ruby had picked up on it, but Ruby was so excited just to have her friend back. Granny just made sure her crossbow was within reach behind the counter.

Regina turned to Snow, "I don't appreciate you spreading lies about me. You'd do well to keep your mouth shut. We all remember what happened the last time you failed to do so.", an evil grin spread on Regina's face which made Snow swallow hard. Ever the royal, Snow still maintained her posture.

Audrey studied the regal brunette, '_So this is the Queen. I can see why Emma fell hard_.'

Henry tried to break the two up, "Hey, Mom. Come here. I want to introduce you to my little sister."

Regina drew one eyebrow up and then looked at Emma for a comment, but received none. Emma continued to look at the floor and away from Regina, seeming put out. '_I just can't catch a break in this town_.'

Regina walked over to Audrey and extended a hand, "Hello. I'm Regina Mills, and you are?"

Audrey shook her hand with the one arm she had free, "I'm Audrey, Emma's friend from Boston." Regina put on her mayoral fake smile, but looked at her son concerned about a stranger in her town.

"It's alright, Mom. She knows everything about us."

This surprised Regina. '_How could Emma be so irresponsible as to tell someone about them?_'

Henry continued, "And this beautiful little girl is my sister, Tristan. Tristan? This is my other Mommy, Regina." When Tristan unburied her face and looked at Regina, a small gasp left Regina's mouth. Robin's jaw dropped to the floor.

"Hi, Gina.", the little girl whispered out.

Regina's lips spread from ear to ear at the little girl's response, "Hello, Little Princess. It's very nice to meet you, Darling." Regina lifted her arm and placed a hand on the little girl's cheek, wiping leftover tears with her thumb. Regina studied the girl's features. She was amazed at how beautiful she was. Her eyes and skin tone were so much brighter than the other people in the room. Come to think of it, Emma's coloring was much brighter looking. There was almost a sparkle in their eyes. Something was different, but Regina couldn't put her finger on it.

Having met Regina now, Audrey looked back and forth between the brunette and the little girl in her arms and was shocked at the resemblance. She looked to Emma who continued to look away from wherever Regina stood.

Snow stood next to Emma and fumed. Her granddaughter accepted Regina.

Robin watched the interaction between his girlfriend and Tristan and was furious. Anger was building up, his face growing redder as he held it in. Regina was so taken with the little girl that she failed to notice it.

Emma had had enough drama for a lifetime. She walked over and took Tristan into her arms, "It's getting late and Tristan still needs her bath and then its bedtime." She turned to Audrey to make sure there wouldn't be any argument. Emma then turned to Ruby, "Can I start a tab again while I'm here?"

"Of course, Ems! I've got you. Go get some rest and we'll catch up later." Ruby walked over and hugged Emma and Tristan as Tristan giggled at the silly group hug.

"Say goodbye to your brother, Tris.", Emma patted her back.

Tristan turned around and fell into Henry's hold, "Love you, Henry.", and then she kissed his cheek.

"I love you more, Doodlebug.", he kissed her back.

"I love you most, Henry." She then kissed him again and he laughed.

"I love you… to infinity and beyond!", Henry then raised his fist in glory to which Tristan giggled.

"You're silly, Henry."

Regina watched the interaction and melted at the love between the two siblings. She turned to Emma who had tears in her eyes as she looked from them to Regina. They stared for a few seconds, Regina noticing the pain and hurt in Emma's eyes, Emma noticing the loneliness and uncertainty in Regina's.

Finally, Emma broke the stalemate and collected her daughter from Henry, "I love ya, Kid. I'll text ya tomorrow." She kissed Henry's temple and gave him a hug and then turned to Audrey to silently tell her it's time. Audrey nodded in response and they proceeded towards the diner entrance.

"Emma, wait!", Snow called out

Emma held up a hand to stop Snow from talking, "Save it, Snow. You've done enough. I will call you in the morning when we're all up and ready for our day, no sooner than that. Don't bother coming over for a visit. I will let you know when we're ready. Are we clear?"

The Charmings just nodded and stayed silent as they watched the three ladies leave.

Later that evening, after Robin had put Roland to bed, he came downstairs and found Regina in her study with a tumbler of her cider in hand.

"Why didn't you tell me, Regina?"

Regina turned around at the voice, "Tell you what?", she was confused and had no idea what he was asking about.

"That you and Emma had a child together. You cheated!"

Regina put her hand on her chest, "I did nothing of the sort! I was never with Emma."

"I don't buy it. How do you explain the resemblance between you and that kid?"

Rolling her eyes, Regina took another swig, "There are many people with dark hair, Robin. Hook had dark hair. Based on the child's age, she's probably his which would explain why Emma kept her a secret.

Robin thought about her explanation which made a lot of sense, but…"It's not just the dark hair. Her skin tone, her plump lips, her pudgy cheeks, it's…everything! She's you!"

Regina knew he was right in that they shared a strong resemblance, but she also knew she was never with Emma so it was impossible. The child had to be Killian's. '_Poor Emma_.'

"I won't have this conversation again, Robin. Either you believe me or you don't. I never slept with Emma."

Robin just slammed his fist on the wall, "It would take magic, Regina! I know two women can't make a child, but two magical women? I wouldn't be surprised."

Regina walked up and stood so close that Robin felt her breath on his face. She glared menacingly into his eyes, "I was never intimate with Emma nor did we share magic." Regina had been squeezing her tumbler so hard that it shattered in her hand causing shards of glass to get embedded in her skin. She didn't even flinch as she walked by Robin and walked upstairs to go to bed.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Is she down?"

Emma nodded and came into the living room and flopped down onto the sofa across from Audrey. "It took a while. She was excited seeing Henry again, but then all the drama at the diner got her upset. She had a lot of questions."

Audrey snorted, "I have a few myself after all that. I still can't believe I met all of those storybook characters."

Emma smiled and shook her head, "I know. It's a head trip, that's for sure." Emma reached for the tumbler on the coffee table that Audrey had poured for her and as she drank the thick, red liquid inside, her fangs became prominent.

Both ladies sat in silence, drinking their blood tumblers and thinking. Audrey broke the silence by clearing her throat, "May I ask you something that will upset you?"

Emma stared at Audrey and then finally responded, "I know she looks like Regina. I don't know why. We were never together.", and then Emma continued sipping her blood and closed her eyes as she laid her head back on the back of the couch.

Audrey nodded and took a sip, "Fair enough. You have to admit though. The resemblance…it's uncanny." A few more seconds of silence and then, "Robin didn't seem too pleased." Audrey took another sip and smiled.

"I don't want to talk about the Pine Cone.", Emma growled. After finishing her blood, Emma leaned forward on the couch and stared at her empty glass. "Do you think they're married?"

"Thought you didn't want to talk about him.", Audrey smiled and leaned forward to sit her empty glass on the long wooden table between them.

"I don't. I just…it's hard…you know…to see her again."

Audrey got up and moved to sit beside Emma and wrapped her arms around her friend, "I didn't see rings on their fingers so no, I don't think they're married."

Emma let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, "I didn't even look, I was so upset." After squeezing her glass, Emma sat it down and stood up. "I need a stress release. I'll be back in an hour.", then Emma disappeared in a plume of white smoke.

It was the first time Audrey had seen magic used. Her eyes bulged and then finally she collected herself, "Wow. That's gonna take some getting used to." Audrey then picked up the glasses and went to get ready for bed.

* * *

Emma had returned to the piano in the clocktower that gave her so much peace in the past. Using her magic, she removed the dust and pulled out the piano bench to get comfortable and stretch out her fingers. Again, without sheet music as her aid, she began playing. The song? Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody On A Theme of Pagnini, Variation 18.

Passersby outside began hearing the music and all stopped in awe and shock that their ghost had returned to entertain them. As some people were stressed, they believed the Gods had sent him back to them. Others, on dates, took each other's hands and began slow dancing in the street.

Regina happened to be walking by having just come from the hospital to suture her hand wounds. After realizing her hand wounds were worse than first thought, she magicked herself to the ER. Her emotions were too disjointed to be able to heal herself. She then decided to walk home to try and think about things.

Emma had moved from song to song, each more romantic than the last. Her fingers gliding seamlessly and smoothly across the ivories, her eyes closed and her body swaying in place. Emma's breathing had slowed considerably and her face had become smoother as her facial muscles relaxed.

Outside, Regina stared up at the clocktower with her eyes closed, listening to the crisp notes as they settled in her mind and detoxified the poisonous thoughts circulating in there. When the final song ended, Regina looked around and noticed everyone smiling and holding each other. The atmosphere had changed in the streets, everyone seeming lighter.

'_This is no coincidence. The ghost showing back up when Emma returns._' Regina continued to stand there and stare at the clocktower working through her puzzle. '_Emma said she never had lessons. She couldn't read a note and I know she wasn't lying. I know her better than anyone_.' "I will catch you, Ghost." Regina then smiled and continued to walk back home.

What the listeners didn't realize is that Emma didn't stop playing because she was done. She stopped because she sensed another like herself nearby. Emma magicked away and to a nearby building. She stood there for moment, smelling the air and then used her inhuman speed to track the intruder.

'_Who is this? There aren't supposed to be any here in Storybrooke. There's no way for them to get in. Are they related to 'him'?_' She noticed that she was running towards Regina's house, but thought nothing of it. Emma's eyes began glowing red when she saw a familiar form walking towards 108 Mifflin. '_Regina_.'

The figure was running directly towards Regina, but then stopped noticing he was being tailed by another like him. Emma didn't slow down though and ended up crashing into the stranger.

Hearing the commotion, Regina turned around just in time to see two people slam into the pavement; the top figure with a mass of blonde curls and a white wife-beater. Muscular arms were prominent as Emma grabbed the intruder by the collar.

Emma stared at the glowing red eyes looking back at her and the evil grin on the man. The man had dark black hair and tanned skin. His face had stubble on his jaw and upper lip. He had a medium build and wore jeans with a bomber jacket and hiking boots.

The two bodies began wrestling on the pavement, but were moving at an insane speed that Regina had never seen before. She began to jog over to the scuffle as best she could in heels.

"Who are you and what do you want?", Emma demanded. She was standing up and slamming him against a parked car on the side of the street. The man then grabbed Emma and turned them around, slamming her so hard into the car that the car alarm went off. The car door had a dent in it and the window had been shattered from the impact. That got Regina to stop approaching. Her jaw was dropped that Emma was still standing as if nothing had happened. It was then she saw Emma's eyes glowing red.

Emma pushed her attacker off, sending him flying across the street and against another car whose door got smashed in from the impact. The man was stuck in the mangled metal and trying to free himself before Emma could reach him. Again, Regina noticed that the man wasn't in pain. If anything, it seemed as if he was just stuck in a child's ball pit and trying to get out.

Emma slowly walked over to her enemy as Regina watched. It was like Emma was a wild animal playing with its prey. Then she heard Emma speak. "I will only ask one more time. Who are you and what do you want?"

The tanned stranger tried to move faster to free himself, but was struggling. Emma noticed when he looked up at her, '_He's newly changed. Must be working for someone._' "Do you work for him? Did he send you?" Emma then raised her hand with her fingers pointing to the sky, the top of her hand facing her enemy. Her nails grew and turned into sharp, curved claws. Emma then launched from her spot and with crazy speed, was on the guy before Regina could blink. Her claws were embedded deep into his neck and then with a slashing motion, his head was removed. His body turned to blood and was all that was left when Emma stood up and retracted her claws.

Regina stood shell shocked. She wasn't afraid of Emma, but rather for Emma. Emma turned her head to look at Regina and that's when Regina saw the fangs. Emma was a sight; covered in blood, eyes glowing red and fangs protruding from her lips.

Wiping the blood off of her face with her arm, Emma tried to slow her breathing before asking, "Are you alright, Regina?"

Regina just stared at Emma, not hearing what she had asked.

Emma turned to face her now, but didn't approach her, "Regina, did he hurt you? Please tell me you're okay." Emma knew vampires could attack from distances via the mind.

Regina just continued to stare. Emma didn't want her secret to come out, let alone like this and to Regina of all people. Tears formed in Emma's eyes as she stared at the woman she loved. '_She must think I'm a disgusting monster. If she didn't want me before, there's no way she'll want anything to do with me now._' Swallowing hard, Emma used her super speed to run away and escape back to her cottage.

Car alarms kept going off alerting their resting owners of the problem. Lights began shining on house porches as people walked out to see what the ruckus was. Regina simply stood in silence absorbing all that she had seen. A hand then pat Regina on her shoulder causing her to turn around and see Kathryn.

"Regina? What happened? Are you okay?", her friend asked concerned.

With her mouth still wide open, Regina just nodded and stared at the pool of blood on the smashed car.

* * *

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Emma paced her bedroom running her hands through her tangled mane.

_KNOCK, KNOCK_

The bedroom door slowly opened and Audrey poked her head in, "Em?" She stepped in and saw Emma covered in blood, "Oh my God, Emma! What happened?" She ran up to Emma and checked her over for injuries.

"He's here. I mean, I think he's here. I just ran into a fledgling and had to kill him. He was after Regina."

Audrey stopped examining Emma and stood there shocked, "How did they get into Storybrooke? I thought you said the outside world couldn't find it."

"That's just it! They can't find it! It doesn't make sense. How did he get in? How does he know about Regina?" Emma continued her pacing with her arms crossed. "I should never have come back. I knew this was a mistake."

Audrey watched Emma pace. She knew it wasn't a mistake for Emma to return. She saw the bond between her friend and the beautiful queen. The way Regina looked at Emma told Audrey that it wasn't one-sided. She knows Robin saw it too. He was fuming. "It wasn't a mistake, Em. Especially if he's found your family and friends. It's good that we're here to help them."

"She saw me, Aud. She saw me turned." Emma kept pacing and looking at the floor.

"Oh no. What did she say?"

"NOTHING! She said absolutely nothing. Just stared at me like I was some kind of freak!", Emma choked out through tears.

"Sweetie, she was probably just in shock. You remember what it was like for us when we first discovered the existence of vampires." Audrey continued to watch Emma before speaking again, "Go take a shower and get cleaned up. I'll go get some blood so you can replenish." Audrey then walked out of the bedroom.

* * *

"Feeling better?", Audrey asked as they sat in the living room again while drinking their tumblers of blood.

"A little", Emma finished her drink and licked the excess blood off of her lips.

Just then there was a light knock on the door and both women looked at each other confused and nervous.

"I'll get it. You just stay here and take it easy.", Audrey stood up and walked out to answer it.

Emma could hear muffled voices talking. Obviously Audrey warned them about Tristan sleeping. Footsteps were then heard getting louder and when Emma looked up, her eyes widened, "Regina."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Regina."

Regina stared at Emma as Audrey looked back and forth between the two ladies. "I'm going to give you some privacy. Em, if you need anything, I'll be reading in my room." Audrey then left the room and turned back to look at the one last time.

Regina looked down at the glass in Emma's hands which still contained a small amount of blood. Swallowing hard, she looked back up at Emma.

Emma realized what her eyes were staring at and sat the glass down and stood up in front of it while wiping her hands on her silk pajama pants.

"I apologize for the late visit." Regina slowly walked further into the room and around the couch to approach Emma. Once she was standing directly in front of the blonde, Regina studied her eyes. '_Her eyes are back to their beautiful green color._' She still noticed Emma's skin and hair appearing richer than years before. She then noticed the prominent fangs as Emma's mouth stayed slightly open in shock. Reaching her hand up slowly, she cupped Emma's cheek and ran her thumb over Emma's bottom lip and slightly touched the two upper fangs. She then dropped her hands to grab Emma's and studied her nails which were back to normal.

Emma had closed her eyes when Regina's hand cupped her face and kept her eyes closed as Regina studied her features. Emma's breaths grew quicker with anxiety, worried of scaring Regina further, but she loved the feel of the woman's hands on her.

"What happened to you, Emma?"

Emma opened her eyes to Regina's concerned face. She debated on how much to share with Regina, but given tonight's visitor, she couldn't leave Regina in the dark. Her life was now in danger.

"Please sit." Emma pointed to the couch. "Would you like something to drink?"

Regina eyed Emma's tumbler and Emma quickly amended, "Coffee? Tea? Scotch?"

"I think a scotch will be required for this conversation."

Emma nodded and left the room to pour a double for Regina. After returning, Emma sat on the opposite end of the couch and grabbed her glass again, downing the rest of its contents in one shot.

"I was attacked several years ago when I was walking home late at night. I was pregnant and had a craving. Audrey was still sick and bedridden that week from the heavy chemo they used. I decided to run to the corner store for some ice cream for myself and soup for Audrey. When I left the store, I noticed a dark haired man following me from a distance so I sped up my pace, but I could only walk so fast in my late pregnancy. Although I was pregnant, I was confident in my self-defense skills. Just as I was about to enter the security gate to our apartment, I felt something grab me and carry me away. It happened faster than I could blink. When I stopped moving, I was pinned to a brick wall in an alley with fangs embedded in my neck. I couldn't move! It felt like my entire body was paralyzed from a drug. I tried to scream for help, but my voice was hoarse from the pain and trauma to my neck. The guy pulled back and stared at me with glowing red eyes and he screamed in ecstasy. He said he'd never tasted blood like mine and then grabbed me and drank from the other side of my neck."

Emma stood up and paced, growing more anxious as she relived her ordeal. "All I could think of was my baby. I felt myself growing weaker from the blood loss and then suddenly a voice yelled out from the main street and came running to my rescue. It was a woman who had the same abilities as the man did and she quickly sped over and pulled him off of me and threw him across the alley and into a dumpster."

Emma had poured herself a new glass of scotch and immediately took a large swallow of the golden liquid. "Her name was Malia. She scooped me up and was yelling at the guy threatening him and then she took me away to her apartment and nursed me back to health."

Regina chose then to ask a question, "Wait. I thought you said she was like him. Why would she help you?"

Emma shrugged, "Apparently she was an elder and that man, while a pack leader, was creating his own rules by attacking humans. They normally try to live in harmony with humans, but there are gangs that disagree with this decision and live by their own rules. Being an elder, he had no choice, but to submit to her demands. He couldn't attack her which allowed us to get away."

Small footsteps were then heard coming down the stairs and a small head poked out from between the bannisters to look into the room, "Mommy, I'm hungry. I need a snack."

Emma looked up at her daughter, '_Dammit. Not now while Regina is here_.' "Ok, Sweetie. Why don't you come sit down in here while I got get it."

Tristan slowly shuffled into the living room and saw Regina. "Hi, Gina.", she said while rubbing her tired eyes and sitting on the edge of the chair next to the couch.

Regina smiled wide at the nickname, "Hello, Sweetheart." She sat next to the little girl on the corner of the couch. "Can't sleep?"

Tristan shook her head, "No. I'm hungry."

Emma returned with a sippy cup hoping the lid would conceal its contents from Regina.

"I want a big girl cup!", Tristan whined to her mother.

Emma rolled her eyes, "Just use this one, Honey. It's the first one that I grabbed." Emma took Tristan's right hand, "Why don't we go upstairs and you can finish your snack."

Tristan had taken a sip while standing up to grab her mother's hand and that's when Regina noticed the fangs slowly growing and protruding as the little girl drank. Her eyes grew wide in shock and she quickly turned to Emma.

Emma just stared at her and shook her head as if to say '_Not now'_ and then she walked Tristan back upstairs. Five minutes later, Emma returned with the empty sippy cup and took it to the kitchen to place in the sink to clean. Regina quickly followed her into the kitchen.

"Ms. Swan, what the hell were you thinking biting your daughter?! I can't believe how irresponsible and selfish you were!"

Emma whirled around in shock. Of all the reactions, she hadn't expected that one. Anger soon replaced shock, "How dare you?! You have no idea what you're talking about. You know nothing about us! I never did anything to her!"

Regina crossed her arms and huffed, "That sippy cup says different, Dear." She then used her sickly sweet, fake smile reserved for her constituents.

Emma stomped over to the mayor and stood face to face with her, their breaths touching the other's face. "Get. Out."

Regina stepped a little closer, "I see you have no explanation for her condition."

"Oh I have one, but you don't deserve it. I thought I could trust you, but apparently I was wrong. You will always assume the worst in people, even those who love you." Emma quickly went pale, realizing what she had just admitted.

Regina gasped at the words and stared at Emma in shock. Emma's anger was determined to disable Regina and make her leave so she said something she knew would be a direct emotional hit, "I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?" Emma then used the same fake smile at Regina.

It was a gut punch to Regina. The wind was completely taken out of her sails. She couldn't believe Emma would say something so spiteful.

"Go home to your Pine Cone, Regina."

Tears filled Regina's eyes against her will. She continued to stare at Emma whose eyes were full of hurt and anger.

"Get. Out."

Regina swallowed and turned around, walking out of the kitchen and grabbing her sweater she stormed out the door. Emma quickly locked it and then magicked to the clock tower to take her stress out on the piano. It also allowed her to smell any new intruders as Regina walked home.

Even after she sensed that Regina was back home safely, Emma stayed in the clocktower playing the piano for two more hours, crying as she played her sonatas. She knew Regina was just being protective of Tristan. She'd always loved children, but it hurt that Regina didn't have more faith in her.

* * *

Regina walked into her house with tears streaming down her face. She looked up the stairs knowing Robin was asleep in bed waiting for her, but instead she turned and went into her study for another drink. This time, she poured a generous helping of her cider and sat down to think about what happened with Emma.

'_Emma said she loves me. She loves me and I accused her of hurting her daughter. I haven't seen her that hurt since she left four years ago. What have I done_?'

She continued to down her cider and then poured another glass. She knew she'd hate herself in the morning, but she didn't care. After a second glass of cider, Regina's eyes grew heavy, but instead of going upstairs to bed, she elected to stay on the couch and fall asleep in her study. The thought of sharing a bed with Robin didn't appeal to her.

* * *

Audrey had come down to the living room to look for Emma, but found it was empty. As she turned around to head back upstairs, a cloud of white magic filled the center of the room and when it cleared, there was Emma with red, puffy eyes.

"What happened?"

Emma shook her head and tears rolled down her cheeks again. She filled Audrey in on her conversation with Regina and then grabbed her iPhone. "I need to call Malia."

Audrey nodded, "Yes you do. She may have an idea of how to help with our visitors."

Nodding, Emma hit the FaceTime icon next to Malia's name on her phone. After a few seconds, her mentor answered.

"Hey, Sweetie! What a surprise." Malia looked at Emma's image on her cell phone and frowned, "What happened?" She then noticed Audrey next to Emma, "Oh, hi Aud."

"They're here, Mal. I caught a fledgling after Regina tonight. I killed him. It has to be him." Emma was talking so fast to the point of hyperventilating.

Mal looked stunned, "How did they get in? I thought the outside world couldn't find the town."

Emma just shook her head in disbelief. "I have no idea. I'm in over my head here, Mal. I don't know what to do and now my family and friends are in danger."

Audrey watched the conversation between the two and studied Malia. She had dark, chocolate locks and deep brown eyes. Her tan skin made her similar to another brunette she'd recently met. '_Well, Emma certainly has a type_.' Mal was much taller though and didn't have the regal presence that Regina did. Malia was more relaxed. '_I can see why Emma dated her. She needed someone to fill her Regina void._'

"I need you here, Mal. Can you come?" Emma sounded almost child-like with her small voice.

"How can I enter your town?"

"I can meet you at the town line and then get you across, though I'm curious if you're able to cross without my help first."

Malia nodded and then stared at Emma, "Have you seen her? Does she know?"

Emma's eyes welled up again, "Yes and yes. It didn't go so well." Emma then looked down and Audrey could see her shoulders bouncing, indicating quiet sobs.

"It'll be alright, Sweetie. I'll be there tomorrow night. It's too late for me to travel before sunrise, but I'll leave at sunset tomorrow. I should make it there around 10pm."

For the first time in a while, Emma finally smiled and relief spread across her face.

"How's my little girl?"

Emma's smile grew wide. "She's doing well, Mal. She misses her aunt Mal and will be so excited to see you tomorrow."

"Ok, Emma. I'll see you tomorrow. Try to get some rest. At least you know everyone is safe in their homes and obviously will be safe during the day tomorrow."

Letting out a heavy sigh, Emma agreed, "Yeah, you're right. I'll try. Thank you, Mal."

"You're welcome, Sweetie. Love ya.", she winked at Emma.

"Ditto.", Emma smiled.

* * *

"Audrey, you don't have to go to the funeral. You didn't even know him. It'll be depressing anyway."

"I wanna go, Em. I wanna be there for you and for Henry so come on and let's get going." Audrey was holding Tristan who wore a tiny black dress with shiny Mary Jane's and white stockings. She was holding her favorite stuffed Mickey Mouse and watching her mother pace.

"I still don't understand why I'm named in his will. It doesn't make any sense!" Emma ran her hands through her hair trying to figure out what Rumple was planning. She never trusted him, even after Belle's True Love Kiss removed the Dark One from him. He had spent the next few years trying to make up for the pain he had caused, but Emma didn't care.

"Well, I guess we'll find out what he left you at the reading this afternoon after the service. He asked that it be done right away, correct?" Audrey looped her purse around her other shoulder and walked to the front door.

Emma let out a heavy sigh, "Yeah, I guess so. Let's get this over with." Emma grabbed her car keys and they piled into the jeep and headed towards the cemetery.

* * *

"The service was lovely, Belle." Emma hugged her friend. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm hanging in there, thanks for asking. Ruby has been a big help around the shop." Belle smiled at the wolf from across the room and then looked back at Emma, "I'm sorry you had to return. I know you would've preferred to stay in Boston." Belle had an apologetic smile on her face. "If it matters, I'm so glad that you're here. I've missed you."

Emma gave her a small smile, "It's okay. I know I needed to come back at some point and it's great seeing everyone again."

Belle then looked at the little girl standing next to Emma holding her hand, "I'm especially glad that I got to meet this beautiful princess." Belle tapped Tristan's nose and the little girl giggled and hid her face in Emma's dress.

Tristan then looked up at her mother, "Mommy, can I have some cake?" Tristan had been eyeing the dessert ever since they arrived at Belle's house for food and drinks after the service.

"If you eat two more bites of your sandwich then yes."

Tristan went at her plate with gusto and crammed both bites in her mouth at once.

"Tris! Don't do that! You're gonna choke!"

Tristan just smiled and shook her head no and continued to chew. Emma just rolled her eyes while Belle chuckled at the exchange. "She certainly has your appetite, Emma." Belle couldn't help laughing harder while watching the girl and Emma just looked at her daughter mortified at her eating habits. Belle then grabbed her shoulder, "Thank you for that. I really needed a good laugh." Belle wiped tears from her eyes and Emma hugged her again.

"Anytime you need a laugh just let me know. I'll bring my daughter to help out.", Emma rolled her eyes and looked back at Tristan as she finally swallowed the last her food.

Emma walked over to the food table and began to grab a plate of cake, but Tristan ran up to her, "No, Mommy! I wanna get it!"

Tristan had recently started a new phase where she wanted to do everything herself to prove she was a big girl and Emma offered minimal help without Tristan noticing to prevent possible accidents.

"Ok, Ok. You can get it. Just be careful and take it to the table, Tris."

After Tristan was situated and eating her cake, Henry walked over to join her and spend time with his little sister. Emma just smiled at the pair. She looked around and saw her parents talking with the elves while sipping their drinks. Scanning the room, she then noticed Regina standing with Katherine and Frederick. Emma had done well avoiding Regina all day and refused to make eye contact with her. While she was still in love with the brunette, she was also very hurt by her accusation. She had noticed Katherine pointing to Tristan and then back to Regina while Regina rolled her eyes and spoke animatedly back at her. Obviously, Katherine was also commenting on their resemblance.

"Emma.", Snow walked up to her daughter with Charming and Neal in tow.

"Snow, David, Neal, how are you?", Emma asked coolly. She had managed to dodge her parents for most of the day and had Audrey keep Tristan at a distance.

"We'd be better if you'd talk to us and let us see our granddaughter.", Snow smarted. "This has gone on long enough, Emma. We're obviously not going to hurt her."

Emma studied her parents for a minute and finally relented, "Fine, but if you do or say something to upset her again, that's it."

The Charmings swallowed knowing their daughter meant business. They slowly walked over to Tristan and Henry helped break the ice while the little girl ate. "Hey, Doodlebug. I want you to meet Grandma and Grandpa and this is Neal!" Henry tried to sound excited in hopes of erasing yesterday's memory.

Tristan looked up and immediately recognized Snow so she got out of her chair and jumped into Henry's lap, hiding her face in his neck while holding onto him. "Hey, it's ok, Tris. They're really nice. They just want to meet you and play. We can have cake together, right, Grandma?" Henry tried to bring Snow into the conversation.

"I'd love to have cake with you, Tristan. Can we sit down at the table with you and eat some cake?" Snow was careful not to touch the girl. Tristan slowly looked at them eventually nodded, but didn't talk. She stayed in Henry's lap so Henry grabbed her cake and sat it in front of her. Feeling protected by her brother, Tristan began eating again while the Charmings sat around her and ate their cake while trying to get her attention.

* * *

Audrey walked up next to Emma, "Looks like they're gathering the people who were named in the will and having them meet in the study with Belle and the lawyer."

Emma watched as different people were tapped on the shoulder and ushered towards the study.

"Go. I'll watch Tris."

"Thanks, Aud." Emma had a worried look as she looked towards the study, "Well, here goes."

"Thank you for coming, everyone.", Belle then motioned to Katherine, who was the lawyer, to take over.

"Yes, thank you for coming. I'm aware it couldn't have been easy given the strained relationships with Rumple." Katherine looked around at the serious faces on everyone. "Let's get started." Katherine pulled out the stack of papers and began reading, "I, Rumpelstiltskin, being of sound mind, bequeath the following: To Henry, my dear Grandson, I leave you my shop and all of its contents. I also leave a trust worth $5 million dollars. My hope is that this will pay for your college and help you with your future family. Regina Mills is acting executor of the trust until Henry reaches 25 years of age at which time he may take over."

Regina looked at Henry and squeezed his hand while he tried to fight away the tears. He smiled at his mom, nodded and then turned to Katherine to continue.

"To Granny, I leave you the deed to the diner. It should always have been yours. May it remain a place of respite for all of Storybrooke."

Granny smiled and nodded to Ruby who then hugged her.

"To my True Love Belle. I leave $10 million dollars, our house and cabin in the woods. My wife should want for nothing. I will wait for you in the afterlife my Love, but I hope that you find love again. You filled my heart and made it whole again. I can never repay you for that."

Belle sat and cried while looking down at her lap. Ruby wrapped her arms around Belle and hugged her tight while Belle continued to sob on Ruby's chest.

"And finally to Emma Swan. I leave all of my magical books and items, all the remaining properties I own in Storybrooke, and my remaining wealth of $500 million dollars."

The entire room gasped and Emma immediately stood up, "What the fuck! There's a mistake! No way am I taking that. That's for Belle and Henry!"

Belle stood up, grabbed a book off the table and brought it to Emma, "Here. There's a reason Rumple did this. It's all in here." She handed the book to Emma who noticed a manila folder sticking out of one of the pages. She looked up at Belle for an explanation, "He left you a letter explaining everything and the page the folder is on will answer the rest of your questions."

Emma stared at Belle in disbelief, "I don't understand. How can you be ok with this?"

Belle just smiled, "He and I came up with this together. Please trust us. He left me with plenty. I don't need all of those things. It should go to you."

Regina watched the exchange and then looked at Katherine for further explanation, but her friend simply shrugged as if to say, _don't look at me._

Emma sat down and opened a letter in a white envelope that she pulled out from the front of the book, her name scrawled on the envelope in Rumple's penmanship. Emma looked around the room and noticed everyone staring at her. Her parents had just walked in after hearing the gasps and Henry whispered to them getting them up to speed. Snow and Charming were wide-eyed as they watched their daughter.

As Emma began reading the letter, she gasped and then looked up at Regina who in turn was more confused. Looking back down, she continued to read, her color growing more pale the further she went until tears began streaming down her cheeks and she placed her hand over her mouth to stifle the sobs. "Oh my God." Emma then looked up at Belle, "You knew about this?"

Belle smiled apologetically while nodding.

Emma quickly stood after slamming the letter back into the book, "How long? How long did he know? Is it really possible?"

Belle swallowed and looked down, embarrassed to answer the question.

"Why did he do this to me? Why put this on me?"

Belle then put her hands on Emma's shoulders, "I know it's a lot, but you need to read the rest of the letters and book page."

Emma just looked down at the book, shaking her head as tears continued to flow, "I should have never come back." Emma then stormed out of the study to go look for Audrey and her daughter. When she found them, she yelled, "Audrey! Grab Tris, we're leaving. Now!" Emma didn't wait and then walked towards to front door with keys in hand.

"Emma! Emma, wait!", Belle ran out of the study with Henry, Regina and her parents behind her.

"I'm sorry, Belle. I can't do this. I need to go."

"Emma, he knew you wouldn't believe him. Just please read everything."

"Oh, he was right about that! I don't believe it. Any of it! And how dare he put me in this position!"

Belle tried to get closer to Emma, but Emma wasn't having it. "Stay away from me." Audrey then walked over to Emma and handed her Tristan who buried her head in her mother's neck. "Say goodbye to everyone, Tris."

Tristan looked up and waved at the group and then Emma left with Audrey right behind her.

* * *

A/N: I thought I'd address a couple of comments and PMs regarding Tristan's speech for her age and Emma's musical ability. I modeled Tristan after my 3-year-old nephew who talks the exact same way. I used my dad as an example for Emma as he has the exact same ability that allows him to play any instrument after hearing a song. He can't read sheet music. Hopefully this fills in a few blanks. ^_^


	6. Chapter 6

Regina sipped her cider while staring into the fireplace in her study. '_What was in that letter that had Emma so upset? Leave it to you, Rumple, to stir the pot even after death_.' She then heard the front door open and close behind her.

"Oh, you're home! How was the service, Darling?" Robin came up behind her and grabbed her shoulders, placing a kiss on her cheek.

Regina whirled around, "You'd know if you had actually attended." She then took a another sip while glaring at him.

Robin sighed, "We've discussed this. I had no desire to attend that imp's funeral. He was no friend of mine."

"He wasn't my friend either, but you were supposed to go to support Belle who is our friend! You were supposed to go to support me!"

Robin rolled his eyes, "Not this again. We've had this conversation, Regina. I needed to go see the Merry Men"

"You just wanted to go drinking with your buddies again." She hissed at him.

"I obviously can't talk sense into you when you're like this." Robin threw up his hands and walked out of the study, making his way up the stairs to their bedroom. Eventually, Regina heard the shower turn on and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

'_How could the fairy dust say he's my soul mate? It doesn't make any sense. I don't love him. I'm in love with…_'

"Um, Mom?"

"Oh! Yes, Henry. I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. Are you alright?"

Henry rubbed the back of his neck, "Um, yeah. I was wondering if I could go see Ma? She was pretty upset and I wanted to help her."

Regina smiled at her son's good heart. "Darling, I don't think she'd want visitors after what we saw earlier at Belle's house."

"I know, but I might be able to help and explain what Grandpa had told her."

This caught Regina's attention. "You know what was in the letter?"

Henry just looked to the floor, "I know some of it, not all of it. I caught him working on it when I was working at the shop one day. I went to the back room to ask him a question and noticed it on the table with the book while he was using the bathroom. When I saw Ma's name on it, I began to read it, but then he caught me and closed it in the book. We discussed the part that I had read so I knew some of what was coming."

After sitting her glass down, Regina motioned for Henry to take a seat on the sofa and sat next to him. "Henry, you've been keeping quite a few secrets lately." She stared at him waiting for his reaction.

His face reddening, he was quick to defend himself. "They weren't my secrets to tell, Mom!"

"What about your sister's existence?"

Henry rolled his eyes, an expression nearly identical to his birth mother's. "I couldn't tell anyone. When Ma found out she was pregnant with Killian's baby, she freaked out. She was so worried he'd find out about the baby and come to take her. I kept telling her he was gone and she could easily protect her with magic, but she was too scared. She didn't want Grandma to know for obvious reasons." Regina chuckled at that, but he continued, "She asked that I not tell anyone. She felt safer away from Storybrooke and away from magic. I think she was worried about being pulled into something again." Henry looked down at his lap ashamed, "I guess she was right. I should have never talked her into coming back. I need to apologize to her."

Regina patted him on the lap and grabbed his hand, "You don't need to apologize for anything, Henry. Emma knows that you meant well. She knows you love her and your little sister."

"Thanks, Mom. I just forget how fiercely protective she gets of her life in Boston and of Tris. Probably because they almost died when she gave birth to her."

"What! What do you mean they almost died?!"

Henry winced, realizing he said too much. "Well, Ma became really anemic and her blood pressure began to drop. Her heart kept stopping and they kept reviving her after she gave birth. Tris was severally anemic too. They wanted to give both of them blood transfusions, but they couldn't match their blood for some reason. I guess it's really rare or something."

Regina nodded, but stayed silent as she absorbed this new information.

"Anyway, Ma's girlfriend then showed up later that evening and offered her blood which happened to be a match. How incredible is that?"

"Wait." Regina held up her hand and took a deep breath, not sure if she wanted to know this next part. "What do you mean girlfriend? Your mother was dating?"

"Well, yeah, of course she was. She had to do something since you were with Robin." Henry rolled his eyes again and huffed in annoyance.

"What do you mean by that?" Regina narrowed his eyes and Henry swallowed in fear.

"Well, everyone in town knew she was in love with you, but then you brought Robin back and said he was your soulmate. She was crushed and tried to move on with Hook, but we know how that worked out. So, after she left, she began dating Malia."

Regina's jaw dropped to the ground. She was speechless and just hoped that Henry would continue without asking her questions.

"Ma and Malia have been on again and off again girlfriends, but now they're more like sisters. She's Ma's best friend. She's been incredible with Tris and helping Ma with Audrey while she was sick. It allowed Ma to do what she loved most and was best at."

Regina rolled her eyes at that, "Yes, of course, because bounty hunting is so glamorous."

Henry furrowed his brows, "Bounty Hunting?" And then it hit him that Regina had no idea about Emma's musical past. He never understood why Emma didn't share her talent and musical past with her family and friends, but then one day it hit him. It was her escape from everything and everyone. It was something that was just hers. He couldn't take that away from her so he tried to recover, but it was too late. Regina noticed the mistake. "Oh! Yeah. She loves her job catching criminals. You know Ma, always the savior."

That was when Regina knew he was lying for sure. Emma hated the title of Savior and Henry knew better than to use it when describing her.

Regina narrowed her gaze and stared at Henry for a minute to make him squirm. Then she decided to add, "It appears the secrets are still plenty."

Trying to change the subject, Henry then asked, "May I go see her?"

As Regina debated, she remembered the vampire the previous night and quickly tried to think of an explanation as to why he should wait, "Henry, why don't we wait until morning? You know how Emma gets when she's upset. She's a runner and likes to be left alone. She's probably completely shut off from everyone now and visiting would make her walls go up even higher. If you wait until morning, I can go with you or we can ask her to meet at the diner and the two you can have a private breakfast conversation."

Henry sat and thought about it, "Yeah, you're right, Mom. Thanks." He hugged his mother and quickly stood up, "I'm gonna go text her about tomorrow then." He quickly ran out of the room to go find his cell phone.

Regina picked up her glass of cider again, taking a large swig. '_Poor Emma. She's been living in fear for far too long. There has to be some way that I can help_.' She swirled the amber liquid around in her tumbler of ice and then took another sip, '_I didn't make things any better with what I said to her. I'm an idiot_.' Regina walked over to her cell phone and opened the photos in her iPhone. She stared at one in particular where the blonde had her arms wrapped around Regina trying to keep her still so that Henry could squirt her with a water gun. The shot of them was taken from the waste up and they were looking directly into each other's eyes. Ruby had taken the pic and sent it to Emma who had then sent it to Regina. '_She was in love with me. Was. She's moved on._'

* * *

Emma stared at her daughter while she colored in her coloring book at the kitchen table. Tristan was already a perfectionist, determined to stay within the lines. She would get so upset if even a tiny dot was outside the lines of her favorite cartoon character; Mickey Mouse. Meanwhile, Audrey was at the other end of the table reading the letter that had upset Emma so much.

"Shi…I mean wow." Audrey sat the letter down. "What are you gonna do?"

Emma just shook her head and shrugged while watching her daughter color with her crayons.

"Did you look at the other letters or pages yet?"

Again, Emma just shook her head while watching her daughter and sipping her hot chocolate. She definitely wanted alcohol, but not while sitting with her daughter. Hot chocolate always seemed to calm her, especially during family time.

"It's a good thing you've got 'help' coming tonight." Audrey was careful not to say Malia's name in front of Tristan because if the little girl knew she was coming, it would be impossible to get her into bed. "She may have some ideas on this."

Emma was still silent and simply nodded in agreement. The gears were working in her mind, processing everything Rumple had told her in his letter. She knew she needed to read everything else, but was afraid of what else she would find. Emma turned and stared at the book that was sitting on the coffee table in the living room. Just then, her cell phone dinged with a new text message. Grabbing her iPhone, she noticed it was from Henry.

_Henry: Hey, Ma. Can we meet up for breakfast in the morning? _

_I'm aware of some of what Grandpa wrote and wanted to talk about it. _

_I hope you're ok._

Emma just sighed. "Dammit, Henry. What do you know?", she mumbled. She debated, but then relented and responded.

_Emma: How about you come over at 8am tomorrow? I'd prefer to chat in private. _

_Henry: Ok, Ma. I'll see you tomorrow. Love you._

_Emma: Love you too, Kid._

* * *

After putting Tristan down, Emma poured herself a double of Johnny Walker Black on the rocks, her preferred drink to decompress. When she finished it, she looked at the clock and saw it was ten till 10pm. "I'm gonna head out and wait at the town line for Mal. Call me if you need anything, Aud." Just as Emma opened the front door to leave, there was Malia about to knock with her fist in the air.

"Holy shit! Mal!" Emma hugged her friend and buried her face in Mal's neck. "How did you get here?" Emma stayed buried in Mal's arms.

Malia gently stroked Emma's hair and held her close, "I just crossed the town line. I couldn't believe it when I saw the Welcome to Storybrooke sign."

Audrey piped up, "Well I guess that explains how that vamp got into town."

Malia looked and acknowledged her other friend, "Audrey, you look great. How are you feeling?"

Audrey smiled and held up her arms to flex, "I feel great!" Looking at Emma, Audrey motioned for Mal to come in, "Why don't we go to the living room and get comfortable."

Emma finally released Malia and walked hand in hand with her to the couch and sat down in front of the book. Audrey went to the kitchen and grabbed the letter to show Mal.

"Can I get you something to drink, Mal?", Emma was already getting up in anticipation of her answer.

"That'd be great, Dear."

Emma returned a few minutes later with a tumbler of blood for her friend and sat down again, filling Mal in on her day at the funeral. Audrey then handed the letter to Mal to read.

Setting the letter down, Mal stared at the book. "Well fuck. This is bigger than we thought."

"What am I gonna do, Mal? My family and friends are in danger now. I'll have to tell them about our 'condition' which will probably cause widespread panic and I'll be blamed for bringing this to Storybrooke."

Audrey quickly defended, "Based on that letter it was coming here anyway. The bigger questions are who is behind it and how did they learn about it"

Malia looked at Emma, "It's probably him. I imagine he's involved in some way, but he must have a contact within the town. How else would he learn of this?" Malia then grabbed the book and looked at Emma. She paused to give Emma a chance to stop her, but Emma just stared at the book and watched as Mal slowly opened the book to the marked page and pulled out the manila envelope with more papers and letters.

Emma stared at the marked page, now open. It was in a language she didn't recognize.

"Look at this, Em." Malia handed Emma a piece of paper that she had pulled out of the yellow envelope. It was folded and labeled 'Read Me First'. Emma held the paper debating on opening the folded parchment, but finally gave in and read the letter.

_Dearest Emma,_

_I know this has come as a shock. I've placed a high burden on you with regards to Regina and the gangs. You were the only one who I could turn to. On the back of this letter is a spell. Once read, it will transfer all of my knowledge to you. The spell is dangerous in the wrong hands so you must hide it or destroy it once you've used it. This knowledge will help you decipher the book's contents and to understand the other magical artifacts that I've left in your care. Regina is too stubborn to take advantage of this gift, but I know you will do the right thing. When you're ready to learn more, please ask Belle to take you to my caves._

_Good luck, _

_Rumpelstiltskin _

Malia had been reading the letter with Emma, "Are you gonna do it?"

Emma's eyes just bore holes into the paper while she debated. Perhaps more knowledge would help her solve these issues and allow her to return to Boston quicker. With the exception of Henry, there was nothing left for her in Storybrooke. While she loved her parents, she was fine being away from them. She definitely still loved Regina, but she's with Robin and she could easily visit her other friends occasionally. Her life was in Boston now.

"I'll do it. The sooner this is over, the sooner we can leave."

Audrey and Malia shared a look, worried for their friend's state of mind. Emma turned the letter over and began mumbling the words of the spell while placing her hand directly on the parchment, covering the words of the spell as she repeated them. Soon, a diamond shape that had been drawn on the page above the words, glowed and red magic swirled from the shape and into the air towards Emma. She kept her hand on the paper and watched as the red magic travelled to her head and entered her skin between her eyebrows. Closing her eyes, Emma felt the warmth of the magic entering her mind. It didn't hurt, it felt like pressure.

When it was over, Emma's eyes flew open and she grabbed the book and read the page that she could now understand. Her eyes grew and she looked up at Audrey and swallowed hard, "Oh my God. He wasn't lying."

Malia looked at them confused, "What are you talking about? What does it say?"

Emma looked back down at the book, "This is basically a history book of magic. It has detailed information on phenomenon over hundreds of years."

Malia nodded, but still didn't understand, "Ok. So?"

"I'll read the book entry."

_Princess Elizabeth was pregnant with her first child. The father was her husband Prince Philip. 4 months into the pregnancy, the Princess met her True Love, a knight named William. She knew they couldn't be together as she was already committed to the future king. 5 months later, Elizabeth gave birth to a healthy baby boy with black hair and tanned skin. The Prince immediately accused his wife of cheating as they both had blonde hair and fair skin. The Princess swore she never lain with another, but she remembered sharing one kiss with William who had dark hair and tanned skin. _

_When a pregnant woman meets her True Love and then shares an intimate act with them, the parentage of the fetus will be changed to match that of the True Love for survival of that love._

Emma looked up at her friends, "Tristan is Regina's daughter." Emma began to hyperventilate. "We shared a kiss when I was pregnant with Killian's baby. That must have been it. She's Regina's which makes her Rumple's granddaughter and Regina has no idea she has a daughter or that Rumple was her biological father."

"Whoa, Em. Calm down, Sweetie." Malia grabbed her friend and held her close, beginning to rock in place on the couch. "Take a sip of this.", Mal handed her blood tumbler to Emma which she quickly downed.

Audrey was looking at the pile of papers that had fallen out of the large yellow envelope and noticed a cream-colored feather. "What's this?"

Emma noticed what Audrey was holding and quickly grabbed it. "Where did you find this?"

Audrey pointed, "It was laying on that letter there."

Emma grabbed the letter. It was more of a note that read '_Found at Killian's cell the morning of his escape_'.

Audrey looked back at the feather, "I take it this has to do with the other stuff he mentioned in his letter." Audrey studied it further, "Do you know what this is, Em?"

"Oh yeah, I know. It's a fletching from an arrow. I've seen this before on Robin's arrows." Emma pressed her lips together. "That fucking Pine Cone."

Malia rubbed circles on Emma's back, hesitant to ask her next question, "Do you think Killian and Robin are involved with the gang problem?"

"Oh, I'd bet on it." Emma's eyes began glowing red as white magic began rising from every pore of her skin.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

As Henry and Regina made their way up the walkway to Emma's front porch, they could hear the sounds of a violin coming from inside the house. Regina recognized it as Nocturne in C Minor by Chopin. The notes flowed through the air and she found her body swaying as she listened. Henry watched his mother fall prey to the soothing notes. Voices could then be heard with words of encouragement and the music stopped followed by clapping. Henry was about to knock, but then realized who was playing and his eyes blew wide open. '_That was Tris? Holy shit! She's just like Ma!_'

_KNOCK, KNOCK_

Emma ran to the door and opened it, "Mornin, Kid." She then noticed Regina standing behind Henry. "Good morning, Regina.", she said in a more serious tone.

Regina noted the cool atmosphere, "Good morning, Ms. Swan. I'm just dropping Henry off for breakfast. Where was that beautiful music coming from?"

Emma panicked, "Oh! Um, that was Audrey." She then turned to Henry to try and change the subject, "Tris is in the kitchen with Audrey and Mal so go on ahead. She'll be thrilled that her big brother is here. I didn't tell her that you were coming so it'd be a surprise." Emma smiled as Henry's eyes glowed.

"Mal is here too? Oh, awesome! Bye, Mom. See you at lunch?", but then he ran towards the kitchen before receiving a confirmation from Regina.

Anger grew in Regina's belly at the knowledge that Emma's girlfriend was there and probably knew everything that was going on, yet Regina knew nothing about the blonde's life. She wanted so bad to be the one Emma confided in. She wanted to hug Emma and hold her close, telling her that it would all be okay. Then she heard Tristan scream at Henry's presence in the distance.

"Hen Hen!" The laughter could be heard throughout the house and Regina wouldn't be surprised if people across the street could hear the happiness coming from the Swan household.

Emma looked back towards the kitchen and smiled. She then turned back to Regina, "You're welcome to join us. There's plenty of food. I think Audrey and Mal went overboard because of the kids.", she chuckled as she explained. Then her expression grew more serious, "Besides, I think we have some things to discuss. I learned some stuff last night and some of it pertains to you.

Regina's confusion was evident on her face so Emma explained further, "I went through some of what Rumple left me."

Regina nodded in understanding, "I can't imagine what any of this has to do with me, Ms. Swan. I think it would be best if you joined your family and … girlfriend. I have things to do so if you'll excuse me." Regina hastened her step off the front porch and walked back to her car while Emma stood in the doorway in shock at Regina's sudden change in demeanor.

'_What was that all about?_'

Emma closed the door and went to join her family in the kitchen. She found Tristan in Henry's lap at the table while Mal colored with Tristan and Audrey finished cooking pancakes, eggs and bacon. Emma's smile grew at the hominess. She felt complete in this moment.

"Need any help, Aud?", Emma had walked up and grabbed some plates to set the table.

"I'm good, Sweetie. Just go sit with your kids and we can dive in."

Emma nodded and brought the plates and silverware to the table. She then cleared Tristan's coloring books away and they anxiously waited for their food.

Once everyone had been served and was well into their meal, Henry spoke up, "So, Ma, how are you holding up after yesterday?"

Emma stopped chewing her food and looked at her son, '_We're doing this now?_', she thought. She swallowed the rest of her big bite and responded, "You mentioned that you knew some of what was in that letter. What did you know about?"

Henry looked down at his plate and then at Audrey and Mal, unsure if he should respond. Emma made it easier for him, "They already know everything, Kid, so I'll ask again. What do you know?"

"Um, well, I know about Mom's relation to Tris. That was at the beginning of the letter that I saw on his desk one day and he caught me trying to read it. I only got that far."

Emma nodded, "I see." Emma let out a heavy sigh, "I still can't believe it. I read the book page that he asked me to, but I don't remember sharing True Love's kiss with your mother. I kissed her, but nothing happened when I did."

Henry blushed and then smiled, "Actually, Ma, something did happen. I was spying on the two of you that night and when you kissed, a ring of white magic spread across the town. It was True Love's Kiss."

Emma's eyes grew wide again and she stopped the fork from reaching her mouth as she was taking a bite. "We shared True Love's Kiss? For real?" Henry nodded and smiled. "That means, Regina's my True Love." Emma began to laugh and stared at her friends, "Regina's my True Love." She then looked around the table and settled on Tristan who was staring back at her and then her expression grew sad. Emma then wiped her mouth with her napkin, "I guess that doesn't matter though, does it. She's with Robin, her soul mate." Emma sat her napkin down and looked at Mal, "And now that she knows about us and our condition…Oh God." Emma stood from her chair, "Please excuse me.", and ran out the kitchen and up the stairs to her bedroom, slamming the door.

Henry sat there confused and looked to the other ladies for an explanation, "Condition? What's she talking about?"

Mal and Audrey shared a look and then both nodded in silent communication, "Let's clear the table and then we'll have a nice long talk.", Mal wrapped her arms around Henry who she considered like a son.

* * *

Tristan was playing on her trampoline in the backyard while Henry sat with Audrey and Malia at the picnic table. Each had a glass of lemonade and Henry waited for someone to start. Malia decided it should be her.

"Henry, do you remember the day your mom gave birth?" He nodded in confirmation and for her to continue. "As you recall, my blood was the only type that worked on your Mom and Tris. That's because…" Mal looked to Audrey for some courage and then continued after swallowing hard, "That's because they're vampires like myself."

Henry just stared at both ladies and then began to laugh, "Yeah right. Good one, Mal. Now seriously, what's really going on with Ma?" Henry then noticed that neither lady was laughing and both were staring at him seriously. He quickly quieted down and cleared his throat.

"When your mother was pregnant, she was attacked one evening by a rogue vampire on her way home from the store. He had almost completely drained her. I happened upon the scene and got rid of him and then took your mother home to nurse her back to health. I gave her my blood by allowing her to suck from my wrist. When a human is close to death, but then replenishes from a vampire, they are then turned to one. What we hadn't anticipated was it's reaction with your mother's magic."

Henry nodded and looked to Audrey, worried at what was coming next, but then turned back to Mal.

"Her blood was like a drug to other vampires. News quickly spread of its effects on the man that bit her. Others wanted a taste so they began stalking your mother at night. I sensed them and was able to deter them since I'm considered an elder and young ones must adhere to the words of an elder. During the day, she was safe because vampires can't venture out into the sun."

Henry perked at that, "But you're outside! How is that possible? Ma has been out during the day!"

Mal nodded, "Correct, and that's because of her magic. Her magic has allowed her to break the laws of vampirism. Vampires can't enter a household without being invited. They must adhere to the rules given from an elder. Also, they may not venture into the sun. Your mother's magic has allowed her to survive in the day, eat normal foods, rarely take blood, ignore commands given to her and it's given her strength that would normally only come with age. She also doesn't have to be invited in. There are gangs of rogue vampires that are looking to break the rules of the elders. We've had a long-standing rule that no human is to be attacked. We only take blood offered to us. However, they disagree with this philosophy and see themselves as higher beings and humans are merely food equivalent to livestock."

"That's terrible!" Henry's color had paled as the story continued.

"Yes. The reason I'm able to break the rules is that I also have Emma's blood. She had helped me one day and allowed me to feed. Now I share her gifts." She then turned to Audrey, "Audrey was on her death bed from her cancer, but at the last minute, Emma gave her The Bite and Audrey recovered."

Henry turned to Audrey, "You're a vampire too?" Audrey smiled and nodded.

"When Tris was born, she was different. We discovered that she was born a vampire which is completely unheard of. She shares the gifts that Emma has." Mal took a sip of her lemonade and then continued, "The rogue gangs want to create a new breed of vampires and use Emma's blood to do it."

Henry gulped at this news.

"In Boston, we were safe at night as long as we were indoors since they require an invitation. When out at night, we were fortunate to have Emma's strength, but now here in Storybrooke, we've put others at risk with our presence and these new vamps know of Emma's ties here somehow. A couple of nights ago, Regina was attacked and Emma saved her, but now your mother knows about Emma and Tris' condition."

"What? She knows? She didn't tell me! How did she react?"

Mal turned to Audrey motioning for her to take over, "Not so well, Henry. She accused Emma of biting Tris and turning her and you know how protective Emma is of her daughter. She took offense that Regina would think that of her and kicked Regina out." Henry winced, but not entirely surprised by his mother's knee-jerk reaction. "Tris' vampirism has always been a sensitive subject for Emma because she blames herself for allowing it to happen. She wishes her daughter would have a normal life, but now she never will and Emma blames herself for that. Regina just poured salt into that wound without realizing it."

"Poor Ma. Wait, you said my mother was attacked. How did they get into Storybrooke?"

Audrey handed things back to Mal, "We aren't sure, but we believe that someone on the inside is helping them. There's no way they could've known about Emma's love for Regina unless they had first hand knowledge." Mal then sipped her lemonade as if parched from sharing so much information.

Audrey then continued, "It would seem your grandfather knew what was happening and has tasked Emma with getting rid of the vampires threatening the town. He hinted that Killian and Robin were in on this and left evidence he found near Killian's cell the morning after his escape." Audrey held up the feather which Henry took and anger filled his features.

"I've never liked that guy. He's all wrong for Mom. He's so full of himself and such a hypocrite. I don't understand what Mom sees in him."

Malia spoke up, "I believe your mother is so desperate for her happy ending that she's focused on what the fairy dust told her about Robin. She's ignoring all the signs of where her true happiness lies."

"That's the other thing! How could fairy dust get it so wrong?" Henry all, but whined his question.

"I don't know, Hon. You'd have to ask the fairies.", Mal got up and went to check on Tristan and join her for a while on the trampoline.

Audrey took Henry's hand and then rubbed soothing strokes on it, "There was something else in that letter that your grandfather tasked Emma with. He confessed that he's Regina's biological father."

"Holy shit!" Henry couldn't help himself and Audrey didn't correct him because she was just as shocked by all the information shared in that letter.

"He knew Regina wouldn't listen to him, but he wanted to make sure his family was taken care of so he left everything to Emma to take care of them. That's why he left her with so much. He knew she'd find a way to care for Regina and their children. Emma is the mother of both of his grandchildren and he needed to ensure their futures. He wanted to make sure his daughter would be taken care of and told Emma as much by exposing her True Love connection with Regina and Tris' true parentage."

"Wow. No wonder Ma is so stressed. He threw everything on her." Henry guzzled his lemonade and then wiped his mouth with his arm. "I'm gonna go check on Ma. Now I have a better understanding of things."

Audrey smiled at how grown-up he was getting and nodded her thanks. "Just give her time, Henry. Be patient with her." Henry nodded and then left to find his blonde mother.

Henry made his way up the stairs and approached the closed door at the end of the hallway. He could hear the quiet sobs from his mother. He gently tapped the door and then slowly opened it, poking his head, "Um, Ma? May I come in?"

Emma sat up from her bed and wiped her nose with her sleeve, "Yeah, sure. Sorry for leaving, Kid."

Henry sat next to Emma on the bed and gave her a hug. When he pulled back, he noted her red eyes. "Audrey and Mal filled me in on everything including your condition."

Emma swallowed and went pale. She couldn't look him in the eye. Her hands were shaking as she nodded while looking down at her lap. Henry reached over and grabbed her hands into his and squeezed tight, "It's okay, Ma. We will figure this out together. I love you so much. This changes nothing."

That was enough to bring on the tears again, this time in relief. Emma pulled her son into another hug and buried her face in his hair. "What did I ever do to deserve such a perfect son?", she asked rhetorically.

Henry just chuckled, "The same thing I did to deserve such an awesome Ma."

They both heard the doorbell and sat up, "Mal or Audrey will get it.", Emma guessed. She wasn't in a hurry to leave her room just yet.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Malia went to answer the door, but when she opened it, her expression grew deadly.

"Oh! I didn't realize Emma had company.", Snow commented shocked at the stranger at the door.

Malia glared at Emma's parents, "You.", she seethed.

David stood in front of Snow after seeing the woman's murderous expression, "I'm sorry, do we know you? We'd like to see our daughter, Emma."

Malia gave a saccharine sweet smile before baring her teeth, "You'd do well to turn around and leave after what you've done to me and to Emma. If I see you again, I will end you."

Snow had been listening from behind Charming and her blood ran cold at the recognition of Malia's voice. She grabbed David's arm and slowly pulled him back towards her before taking a big gulp, "Maleficent."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Ma, before we go downstairs to see who's there, can I ask you something?"

Emma looked at her son and nodded for him continue with his question.

"How did Grandpa know that you were a vampire? I mean, he dumped all of this crap on you so he must've known."

Emma snorted at his language, '_He is so my offspring'_. Rumple came to Boston for some business, or so he claimed at the time, and he 'bumped' into Mal and I in a coffee shop. He was none too pleased to see me with Mal and I couldn't figure out why. The two of them shot daggers at each other like they had met before. He then asked to speak with Mal in private and when she returned, she was so serious and quiet the rest of the day."

"How would Grandpa know Mal? Why wouldn't he stay to see you?"

Emma smiled at her inquisitive son, "Well, come to find out, Rumple knew Mal from the Enchanted Forest."

"What? How? Who is she?" Henry was so excited at the possibility of meeting another character from his storybook.

Emma smiled, but hesitated to tell this part of the story. "Well, that's complicated. Later that evening, while Mal and I were watching a movie and cuddled together under a blanket, she told me that she knew who Rumple was and that he told her who I really was." Henry gasped, but stayed silent. "Apparently Rumple told her to stop seeing me since I had a True Love waiting for me in Storybrooke." Emma paused and then added, "Technically I don't have one waiting, but that was how he worded it. He told her she can't compete with True Love and to let me go."

"Ma, you know Mom loves you. She's just too stubborn to admit it." Henry patted her on the shoulder.

Emma shook her head in denial and continued, "Malia told me that had she known who I was when she had initially found me near death, she would've let me die." Henry's eyes grew at that and he swallowed hard. "She then told me that it didn't matter though because she loved me and we were family now, however, we stopped dating after that. She didn't feel right about it after learning about Regina. She told me that she had a True Love in the Enchanted Forest and that he died. So she knows that she can't compete with that bond, but she still wanted to be in my life."

Henry smiled and let out a sigh of relief, "Why did she want you dead though?

Emma got a perplexed look on her face, "I still don't honestly know. She wouldn't tell me saying it didn't matter anymore now that we had each other." Emma shrugged.

Henry sat and thought about his next question, "How is she a vampire?"

"Kid, I know you have a lot of questions, but they'll need to wait. I can feel Mal's magic getting agitated."

"Agitated? How do you know it's Mal's?"

Emma smiled, "If you compare someone's magic to a musical instrument, I'd say Mal's is similar to a tuba and the tuba is gradually growing to a crescendo."

Emma began to stand up from the bedside, "So wait, Ma, who is she really?" Henry asked and then stood up next to Emma.

Emma smiled and grinned, "Her real name is Maleficent."

"Holy Shit!"

"Dude! Language! Don't talk like that or your mother will come hunt me down." Emma loudly whispered as if Regina was standing just outside the door.

"Sorry, sorry, but wow! Maleficent? Isn't she a villain?"

Emma nodded, but then put her hand on Henry's shoulder, "She was, but as we've proven before, everyone deserves a second chance. Everyone can change and like your mother, Mal didn't have a very easy life so cut her some slack, Kid, okay?"

"Yeah, okay, Ma. She's lucky to have you in her corner." Henry hugged his blonde mother.

"Thanks, Kid. Now let's go see what the ruckus downstairs is. The noise seems to be getting louder." Emma let out an exaggerated breath.

* * *

"Maleficent"

Snow's words caused David to stare at the brunette woman and study her more. When he recognized her face, his features paled and he held his left arm back to block Snow from her and then raised his right arm and pointed, "You! What have you done to our daughter? What are you doing here?"

Maleficent's eyes glowed purple and she formed a fireball in her hand as she raised it. "I've been waiting for this. It's time that you paid for what you did."

"What's going on here?!" Emma's loud voice boomed from the top of the stairs. Henry saw the confrontation and hesitated moving further downstairs so he stood slightly behind his mother while holding her hand.

Mal extinguished her fireball, "I was just chatting with your … ugh… parents. I still can't believe you came from these two idiots."

Emma made it downstairs and walked to stand side by side with Mal and wrapped her hand around Mal's waist. "Hey guys, what's going on?"

Snow and David watched their daughter with Maleficent, "Emma, get away from her. Do you know who she is?"

Emma looked at Mal and smiled, "I know who she is. She's my best friend. She's one of my daughter's godmothers and she's like a sister to me." Mal just smiled and blushed while staring at Emma.

Audrey and Tristan had entered from the backyard after hearing the commotion and when Tristan saw her mother with Mal standing across from Snow, she ran over, "LiLi!" She still occasionally used Mal's old nickname from when she couldn't say Malia when she was younger. She ran into Mal's arms and Maleficent grabbed her and lifted her up, kissing her cheek and holding her tight.

"Hello, my Princess." Tristan had buried her face in Mal's neck, "It's okay, Dear. You're alright. Why don't you go play with your brother and Mommy and I will join you shortly. I don't think Henry has seen your newest picture…."

Tristan thought on it and then smiled and nodded, "Okay." She hopped down and ran upstairs to grab Henry's hand and take him to her room.

Once Emma was assured her daughter was out of earshot, she turned back to her parents, "Someone want to fill me on what's going on here?"

Mal glared at the Charmings, but remained silent for Emma's sake. Emma watched her friend and then turned to her parents for an explanation. Snow and Charming just swallowed and remained silent, looking down in shame.

Emma was getting pissed, "What aren't you telling me?"

Snow perked and looked up at Mal, "You didn't tell her?" Snow was positive Mal would've polluted Emma against her, but she hadn't.

Mal's eyes began to fill with tears, "Had I known who she was when I met her, I would have, but I love Emma so much and wanted her to be happy. I didn't want to bring her undo stress." The last sentence was a dig to the Charmings.

All Snow could do was respond with an "Oh.", and then look down again.

Emma finally lost it, "WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON?! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE HONEST THEN YOU CAN LEAVE!" Her nostrils were flaring at her parents.

David took charge and took a deep breath, "Emma, can we please come in and talk about this?"

Emma noticed Mal's body stiffen so she turned back to David, "No. You will tell me right here."

Maleficent was curious to hear their version of events to see if they would try to sugar coat what they had done to her.

"Well, when Snow was pregnant with you, she had a nightmare that you would become Dark. We were worried and went to see Blue for help. She recommended that we use a spell to transfer your potential darkness to another so that we would be assured that you'd be born Good."

Emma could sense Mal's magic growing in intensity as Mal's grip on Emma's hand tightened.

"We learned that a dragon had laid an egg recently so we went to the dragon's den and stole the egg so that we could transfer your darkness to the egg."

Emma began to catch on, "Oh God.", but David continued knowing that he had to get this out into the open.

"We killed the male dragon guarding the den and then stole the egg and used the spell to remove your potential darkness. Afterward, Blue used a bean to send the egg to a world without magic. We didn't need more dragons in the world so we agreed with her decision."

Emma just stared down at the ground while processing, "Oh God. Oh my God! Fuck!" She turned to Mal, "Lily?"

At this point, Mal had tears streaming down her cheeks and her whole body was shaking while she nodded. Emma grabbed her and pulled her into a deep hug, her right hand was stroking Mal's hair and her left hand rubbing soothing circles on her back while she whispered soothing words to her. "I've got ya. It's okay. I know. We'll find her."

The Charming's couldn't understand what they were seeing. "Emma, what are you doing? She's a villain!

Emma finally snapped and her eyes glowed bright red while her white magic began steaming from the surface of her skin. "Are you kidding me? You stole her CHILD! How does someone do that? How could you do that? What were you thinking?"

Snow stepped in front of Charming, ready to make her defense, "WE DID IT FOR YOU!"

"NO! You don't get to throw this on me. I've had enough thrown on me. This is all on you. From where I stand, YOU are the villain!" As Emma ranted, two vases shattered in the entryway and lights began to flicker.

"It was a dragon, Emma! An animal! I'm sure it's just fine." Snow defended.

"Oh really? Just as sure as you were that I would be fine when you abandoned me and sent me to that world when I was just a few hours old?" Snow winced at that, but Emma wasn't finished. "You sent me there to save your asses, not for my own good. Do you think I had a good life? Do you think I was 'just fine' as you put it? Let me enlighten you, I was abused physically, emotionally and sexually throughout my childhood. I have never felt wanted or loved until I met Audrey, Mal and Henry. They are my family. Do you know that I consider Boston my home? With the exception of Henry, no one loves me here. No one truly wants me. They want their savior or their sheriff. That's all. You want your Princess." Light bulbs burst throughout the house and she could hear Tristan crying upstairs in fear from the shattered glass. That's what finally calmed Emma's magic and she was able to reign in her temper. "I think you should leave." Emma's eyes continued to glow red, but her magic had receded.

Snow and David stood shell-shocked, but then slowly backed away. David grabbed his wife's hand and then held up his other in a surrender. "Okay, Em. We'll leave, but we need to discuss this. We love you."

Mal hugged Emma while Emma continued to glare at her parents, "Leave. Now. We have nothing else to discuss."

The Charmings left and once Mal shut the door, Emma stepped back, "I'm so sorry, Mal. I had no idea they were the reason. You should've told me."

Mal just smiled, "I couldn't do that, Sweetie." She then cupped Emma's cheek, "You mean too much to me and I didn't want to turn you against your parents after you had finally found them. Your relationship with them has always been fragile and while I hate them with a fiery passion, I couldn't do that to you."

Emma hugged her friend again and while in the hug added, "Now that Audrey is well and the business is solid, I can devote my time to finding Lily and we WILL find her, Mal. I promise you that."

Mal wiped her tears away and smiled, "I have no doubt that you will, Dear." She chuckled a little at Emma's determination, "But first, we need to fix a few light fixtures and calm down a little girl". Mal then waved her hand in front of the two vases in the entryway and they were fixed in seconds. "It feels so good to use my magic again. I have missed this."

Emma laughed, "I agree. I'll go get Tristan and then take care of the upstairs damage. Why don't you handle the downstairs damage?"

Mal nodded and began to walk away, but saw Audrey standing there stunned. "Hey, Aud. Can you help me find all the damage so I'm sure not to miss anything?" Mal tried to downplay the confrontation and wanted Audrey to relax by having her help. Audrey just nodded and they left. Emma smiled and then began to head upstairs to comfort her kids.

* * *

Regina and Robin were having lunch at Granny's to discuss their relationship or lack thereof.

"We haven't shared a bed since Emma returned." Robin didn't hold anything back. "I'm your soulmate, not her. My son and I need you." It wasn't lost on Regina that after several years together, he still said 'my son'.

"Robin, I've just had a lot on my mind and have been very stressed. I haven't forgotten about you or Roland. I just need some time."

Robin's fist hit the table hard, causing the plates and silverware to rattle while the glasses sloshed out their contents.

"Dammit, Regina. That is not acceptable!"

Patrons began staring and quieted down while Granny grabbed her crossbow and Ruby growled from behind the counter. Robin looked at Ruby whose eyes were now glowing a bright yellow. He swallowed and sat back in his booth.

Voices could be heard yelling back and forth from outside and soon the diner door flew open as the bell yelled on its hinges.

"I'm telling you, Snow, we have to get Emma way from her. She's dangerous. She's poisoned our daughter against us." David paced towards a table.

"What can we do, David? She has magic! We can't take on Maleficent and expect to win. Not after what we did to her."

"I don't accept that, Snow." David was in denial after hearing Emma's harsh words, but Snow was defeated. Emma's words hit their mark and Snow lost her will to fight. David could see it in his wife.

Regina had been listening to the conversation. In fact, everyone had heard their conversation, but Regina was the most concerned. She got up and walked over to the Charmings, "Excuse me, Charming. I couldn't help overhear. What were you saying about Maleficent and Emma?"

Snow rolled her eyes, "Of course you'd jump at that. What is it with Emma taking in wayward villains?"

Regina's expression grew deadly, "Excuse me?"

David swallowed, wiling his wife to shut up, but it wasn't to be.

"Apparently she and Maleficent are best friends and Maleficent is at her house! She was holding my granddaughter! Emma says she's even her godmother! She chose Maleficent over her own parents!"

Regina was absorbing this news, _'Is Mal the same Mal that Henry told me about? Is Mal Emma's girlfriend? Did they…?_' Regina swallowed hard and tears began forming in her eyes at the thought of them together. Robin had walked up behind Regina and placed his hand on her shoulder, but she quickly nudged it off, "Don't touch me."

Robin was incensed. Just as he was about to lay into Regina, she disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke. Robin grabbed his cell phone and sent a quick text and then left the diner without paying for their meal.

"Hey! You need to pay your bill!" Ruby ran out after Robin who turned around and glared at the wolf, "Put it on Regina's tab." He then stormed down the street and towards the forest.

Ruby's eyes glowed yellow as she mumbled to herself, "Asshole. How does Regina stand him? She needs to be with Emma.", then she huffed and stomped back into the diner.

* * *

An hour later, Robin entered the camp of his Merry Men. "Where are they?", he asked Little John.

"We put them in the old cabin that belonged to old man Rivers. They're in the basement sleeping in those coffins you had us build."

Robin nodded, "A new problem has arisen so I need you to text me when Killian awakes."

Little John nodded and Robin grabbed his silver-tipped arrows before leaving for home.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"What is it, Audrey?" Mal had noticed Audrey staring at her from the corner of her eye while they were cleaning up the mess in the kitchen from Emma's magical temper.

"I'm sorry, Mal. I'm still getting used to this magic stuff. I'm also so sorry about your True Love and Lily. I still can't believe it. Snow White of all people. I just… you're so strong. I had no idea."

Mal just smiled sadly, "I don't know about that, but thank you, Dear. It truly means a lot."

"I want to help Emma find your daughter. There's gotta be something that I can do to help so count me in." Audrey then wrapped her arms around Mal and gave her a hug.

Mal's eyes began to glisten with unshed tears as she nodded in Audrey's hold. She choked out a "Thank you.", and then went back to her magical clean up.

* * *

Upstairs, Emma had finally calmed Tristan down and decided to get her mind off of things by showing her some magic. The little girl wasn't aware of her magical roots. "Hey, Sweetie. You wanna help Mommy clean up the mess she made?"

"Yes!" She grabbed her mother's hand and walked into bathroom where several bulbs had shattered and a mirror was destroyed. Emma picked her up so that she wouldn't step on the glass.

"Ok, Pumpkin, watch this." Emma raised her hand and white magic began streaming from her finger tips and wrapping around the fragments of the shattered mirror. They slowly levitated and began molding themselves back together and onto the wall. Within a couple of minutes, the mirror was intact with no hint of previous trauma. Tristan's eyes sparkled in awe.

Tristan stared at her mother's hand and pulled her fingers into her tiny hands, studying them. She touched each of Emma's finger tips waiting for something to happen and working through what she had just witnessed. "Again!"

Emma then held her hand out and this time her magic pieced the light bulbs back together and placed them back into their sockets. "There! All done! What room should we fix next, Tris?"

"My room!" Tristan pointed and Emma carried her into her bedroom. Tristan stared at the mess of glass and held out her hand like her mother and stared. Emma grinned while watching her little princess squint and hold her breath, willing the bulbs to fix themselves, but nothing happened. Tristan then looked at her hand and compared it to Emma's, still working through the magical puzzle in her head.

Emma held out her hand and allowed her magic to flow more slowly this time so that Tristan could watch closely as it mended the light fixtures. When completed, Emma then asked, "How about we do my room next?" Tristan simply nodded, obviously still thinking.

After entering Emma's room, Emma quickly repaired the light fixtures and then moved to the en suite bathroom. It was then that Tristan held out her hand and swirls of white magic left her finger tips and began repairing the shattered bathroom mirror. As she attempted to use her magic to move the mirror back to the wall once it was repaired, Emma noticed that her little body was struggling with such a heavy object so Emma held out her hand to assist her daughter in placing the mirror onto its hinges.

Once completed, Emma hugged her daughter, "I'm so proud of you, Sweetheart! You did it!" She then leaned back, "High five!" Tristan smacked her hand and then Emma sat her down so she could run and tell Mal and Audrey what she had done.

Henry had stood in the background watching in awe of his little sister. "Wow. She's definitely got Mom's talent with magic. She did that without any lessons!"

Emma smiled, "Yeah, I guess she does." She then grew serious. The topic of Regina being the other parent was still quite new to her and she wasn't sure how she'd handle it. She had tried to get Regina to stay so that they could talk, but Regina became aloof and tore out of there too quickly.

Henry eventually pulled her out of her thoughts, "Hey, Ma?"

Emma looked up, still a little dazed.

"Did Grandma and Grandpa really do those things to Mal? I mean, did they really kill her True Love and steal her baby?"

Emma could tell Henry was gut-punched. He had always looked up to the Charmings as the heroes. They could do no wrong in his eyes, but now everything he knew was a lie.

"Seems that way, Kid. I just can't believe what Mal has had to deal with. She's survived hundreds of years just to try and find Lily."

"What do you mean, Ma?"

Emma sighed and motioned for Henry to take a seat on the edge of her bed, "After they took Mal's egg, she tried to get it back, but they had sent it to the world without magic. So Mal tried to find a way to get to that world and be with her daughter. She approached the Blue Fairy asking her to send her to that world because she couldn't live without her child. She begged Blue to do it. Apparently Blue thought as lowly of dragons as Snow and David so she made a deal with Mal, a magical contract. The contract stated that Mal would never return to the enchanted forest even after finding her child. Mal was desperate and agreed to the deal."

Henry nodded and swallowed. He was on the edge of his seat.

"As you know, magical contracts can't be broken or the person dies. So Mal signed and Blue created a spell circle to send Mal to this realm. What she failed to tell Mal is that the circle also included a curse that would remove her dragon powers. When the circle was activated, Mal felt her dragon being removed and she panicked so she released a large force of magic towards Blue. The force caused the lines of the spell circle to become distorted as they were created with Fairy Dust. When she arrived in this realm, it was in the year 1798."

Henry gasped, "But…how is she still living?!"

Emma chuckled at his reaction. It was similar to her reaction when Mal told her this story. "Two years after she arrived, she was attacked by a vampire and was turned. That's how she is considered an elder of the vampires. She's survived all this time hoping that she'd find her daughter when the year finally came, but she couldn't venture out during the day. She was a vampire and limited to the laws of one."

"Until she met you, right?", Henry pieced together.

"Correct. I couldn't help her in her search right away because I'd been taking care of Audrey and keeping the business afloat. Now that those two things are taken care of, I can focus my efforts on finding Lily."

"Wait a sec, Ma. In my storybook, Maleficent has blonde hair, blue eyes and fair skin. How does she have brown eyes, brown hair and olive skin?"

"It's because she lost her dragon. Her father was a dragon with fair features while in human form. Her mother was a human with darker features." Emma grew more serious. "She feels incomplete without her other half. The only thing that will break her curse is True Love's kiss from a romantic True Love or familial True Love."

Henry's eyes grew wide, "Then we can cure her! She's our family!"

Emma's eyes filled with happy tears at her son's words, "She is, but it requires a blood bond. She has no blood family except for her missing daughter."

"Oh." Henry looked won disappointed. He thought he had a solution. He then looked at his mother, "You know what's kind of funny? She looks more like Tris' mom than you do!" He then laughed out loud at Emma's big eyes.

"Hey! Not cool! I'm already in shock over Tris' other mother." Emma rolled her eyes.

"Speaking of, when are you gonna tell Mom she has a daughter?"

Emma took a deep, exaggerated breath through her nose and held it for a few seconds before releasing it, "I asked her to stay this morning and told her it was about what I discovered in Rumple's letters, but she bolted and didn't want hear it. I have no idea why."

Henry just rolled his eyes and threw up his hands, "Sheesh, do I have to do everything?! I swear you adults make things far more complicated than they have to be." He then stood up and walked out of the room and downstairs to meet up with the others. Emma was left with her mouth open in shock at his bluntness.

* * *

"Why did you text me to meet up, Robin?", Blue put her hand on her hip already annoyed that she was wasting part of her day meeting up with him in the forest.

"I'm losing Regina!" Robin explained as if she should've known.

Blue rolled her eyes, "That's not my problem. I directed her to you all those years ago as part of our deal. What you did after that has nothing to do with me. I held up my end."

"You need to use fairy dust on her again then! Make her see that we're meant to be."

Blue glared at the rugged man, "It's not my fault that you aren't really meant for her. I sent her your way, it was your job to woo her and keep her happy. Maybe you need to work harder at keeping her!"

"How can I when Emma is back in town and has brought Maleficent with her!"

Blue's heart stopped at that, "What? Did you say Maleficent?"

Robin rolled his eyes annoyed that he was having repeat himself. "Yes!"

"Damn her. How is she still alive?" Blue began to pace in front of Robin. "What did you mean you can't woo her since Emma is here?"

Robin tried to calm down, "When Emma is around, Regina only sees her. She claims she's never been intimate with Emma, but have you seen Emma's daughter? She's the spitting image of Regina!"

Blue's lips pursed together and her expression grew dark, '_Well that explains why the fairy dust couldn't find her True Love back then. She hadn't been born yet._' Blue began to pace again, '_Snow would die if she knew they were True Loves. I need to do something about this. And then there's Maleficent to deal with._' She stopped pacing and then turned to Robin, "Give me a couple of days to think of something. I will help you with this."

Robin began to smile, but Blue raised her hand, "It's not for you. I'm doing this for Snow."

Robin grew confused, "Snow? I don't understand."

"And you don't need to. I will meet you here at the same time two days from now.", and then Blue disappeared.

* * *

"Well I think that does it.", Audrey commented to Mal as she looked around the backyard and the repairs. "Nice work, Mal!"

Maleficent smiled at her friend, "Thank you."

"I'm still amazed by the magic here. I'm so envious.", Audrey somewhat whined jovially.

"Trust me, Dear, it isn't always a good thing. I've seen it do horrible things to people.", Mal looked down pensively.

"You wouldn't be referring to me, would you?", a low, smoky voice said.

The two ladies looked around and found the source, revealing herself in a mist of purple magic.

Mal just closed her lips and smiled devilishly, "Hello, old friend", she drawled out sarcastically.

"I didn't believe it when I heard. I had to see it for myself.", Regina grinned right back.

"Well, I see Snow White's propensity for being a big mouth is still intact.", Mal retorted.

Audrey watched the standoff between these two ladies who stared at each other waiting for the other to make a move. As she studied them, she couldn't get over the similarities. '_Man, Emma definitely has a type._' She slowly walked backwards to get further away from whatever the two witches were about to do.

Regina was the first to draw. She quickly formed a large fireball in her hand and immediately threw it towards Maleficent. From there, everything seemed to happen in slow motion before the ladies.

Tristan had run out of the back-sliding door to tell Mal about her magic, "LiLi! LiLi! Guess what I did?" She ran right in the middle of the two ladies and was in the line of Regina's fireball. There would be no avoiding the hit.

Regina's blood ran cold and her entire body grew numb when she saw the little girl run between her attack and Mal. Maleficent tried to move forward and summon her magic to provide some sort of defense, but her magic was waning after overuse. Without her dragon, her magical half struggled. Audrey had screamed and Tristan stopped in front of the fireball and turned around to see it coming at her.

At the precise moment the fireball was about to make impact, Emma had used her super speed to jump in front of the fire and use her back as shield to protect her daughter. Her arms wrapped around Tristan and she folded into a ball as she dropped to the ground from the magical hit.

Everyone was yelling "Emma", "Mommy" and "Ma" at the same time and running towards her.

Maleficent was the closest and dropped to her knees, taking Tristan into her arms and inspecting her first for injuries. Tristan was crying and screaming for her mother. "Tris, it's okay, baby girl. We'll take care of Mommy. Are you alright, Honey?" Audrey had run up and was checking Tristan as well while Henry had reached Emma.

Mal then stood up with Tristan in her arms and glared at Regina who was still frozen in place from shock, "How. Dare. You!?"

Regina had tears in her eyes and was walking towards Emma, "I'm sorry. I didn't think…I didn't mean to…I would never…"

Tristan had turned towards Regina with tears in her eyes which began to glow red. White magic began rising from her body and her breathing became more rapid. "You hurt Mommy."

Regina finally allowed her tears to stream down her face, "I'm so sorry, Honey. I didn't mean to. It was accident, Darling."

Tristan looked down at her unconscious mother whose shirt was burned off her back exposing her severally injured skin. She then looked back up at Regina and the next thing anyone saw was Regina being thrown back several feet and slamming into the side of the house. Her body fell to the ground in a crumpled heap and didn't move after that. She had lost consciousness from the impact to her head. The little girl's eyes then turned back to their vibrant green color and she buried herself in Mal's neck.

Henry was afraid to move Emma due to her severe injuries, "What do we do? I don't want to hurt her." He ran his fingers through his hair.

Audrey stepped in, "We can't take her to the hospital. Her healing properties should help the physical injuries, but I'm not sure about any magical stuff." She turned to her friend for help, "Mal?"

Maleficent stared at Emma, "Let's get them into a bed first. We will treat the physical injuries to help her body heal faster. It's probably best that she's unconscious because this will hurt like a bitch."

Tristan chose that moment to lean back in Mal's arms, "What is a bitch?"

Mal looked at Audrey with an 'oh shit' expression and then back at her goddaughter, "Snow White, Sweetie. Snow White is a bitch."

"MAL!", both Henry and Audrey yelled.

"What? It's true.", Mal rolled her eyes. "Let's get them upstairs.

Now that Henry was a young man, he was able to lift his blonde mother and carry her into the house and up to her room. He struggled, but weight training had definitely come in handy. He then did the same for his adoptive mother and both were placed on the king-sized bed in the master bedroom; Emma on her stomach so that they could treat her wounds.

Audrey placed wet-to-dry bandages along Emma's back while Henry placed an ice pack on Regina's head.

"Will she wake up, Mal? I mean, was that fireball just fire or was there something else in it?"

Maleficent stared at Emma and then looked at Regina, "Knowing Regina, she put a little something extra in that fireball. If I know her, she wouldn't use it to kill, only to make me suffer."

While they talked, Regina was slowly coming to. Her eyes remained closed while she tried to figure out where she was. She could hear the voices in the room, but couldn't open her eyes yet. '_Am I in the hospital? How did I get here?_'

"Mom didn't mean it, Guys! She would never hurt a child.", Henry defended in Regina's place.

"Henry, she almost killed Tris!", Audrey yelled.

Regina definitely heard that part, '_I would never hurt her! What happened?...Wait. She used magic. True Love magic. Oh God. Killian and Emma are True Loves?' _

"And look what she did to Emma. Who does that? I can't believe how irresponsible she was. There were other people in that house. She had to have known that." Audrey wasn't letting this go. She wasn't used to this stuff.

Mal put her hand on Audrey's arm, "Calm down, Aud. I know. She shouldn't have done that, but we all get caught up in the moment sometimes. Regina and I have a fiery history so fireworks were bound to happen. Let's just be grateful that everyone is alive and Tristan is okay."

'_Was that Mal? She sounds so…different. Calm._' Regina continued to try and open her eyes.

"Why did she attack you, Mal?" Audrey was glaring at the unconscious queen as she asked.

Maleficent looked at Regina and then back to Audrey, "Back in the Enchanted Forest, Regina had stolen the Dark Curse from me after she had given it to me. I didn't want her to get it back because I was pregnant at the time and worried for my unborn child." Mal swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to keep the tears at bay and then continued, "I decided to try and get it back from her so I attacked are castle. We were pretty evenly matched. My mother was human, but she was also a witch so I had used my abilities to search for the curse in her castle. I couldn't find it so I tried capturing her father and using him as leverage. You can imagine how well that went over."

Audrey winced knowing Regina's history and her love for her father.

"Exactly. I was never able to find the curse and her father was injured in the magical battle. I didn't mean for it to happen, but the damage had been done to our friendship. I knew she'd never forgive me."

Audrey nodded and then her hard features relaxed in understanding. "What a shame. And in the end, Blue was the cause of your separation from Lily."

Henry piped up, "Speaking of, Ma told me the story, Mal, and I'd like to do some recon to see what else Blue knows. There are now two things the fairies have done to mess with my loved ones lives and I'm convinced there's got to be a connection."

Regina was absorbing all the information. '_Mal was with child? What does Blue have to do with this? Is Emma alright?_' Regina then felt movement on the bed next to her, but still couldn't open her eyes or move just yet.

Tristan had crawled into bed and wedged herself between the two ladies. Tristan stared at her blonde mother's back and then held up her little hands and stared at them. Henry, Mal and Audrey watched to see what she would do next. After a few minutes, white magic rose from the little girl's hands and a children's violin materialized in her hands. She began playing a soft, mellow tune to soothe her mother. The Sonata by Brahms permeated through the room and relaxed her audience further into their chairs. Tristan knew music was a salve to her mother and hoped it would make her feel better.

Regina heard the music begin and was confused, '_Who is playing next to me? It's beautiful? Is this the person I heard when I dropped off Henry?_' Regina was more determined than ever to at least open her eyes. She struggled and used all of her willpower, but she managed a small squint. It would just enough to see her little mini-me seated next to her with violin in hand and eyes closed while she gracefully maneuvered her bow with her right hand while the fingers on her left hand worked the strings on the fingerboard. Her tiny little chin rested on the chinrest as her body gently swayed back and forth. '_Tristan?_'


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Henry had been asleep sitting up in a chair next to the bed where his moms were lying unconscious. Mal and Audrey had taken Tristan to get something to eat and then put her down for a nap. The sound of a doorbell awoke him from his slumber. '_Guess I'll get it since they probably have their hands full with Tris_.'

When Henry answered the door, he was greeted with none other than an irate Robin.

"Henry, where is your mother? She left me at the diner and I haven't seen her since." His breathing was heavy and rapid, "Is she here?"

'_God this guy is such a douche. What does mom even see in him?_' Henry rolled his eyes, annoyed with all the adult drama in his life due to his mothers. "I haven't seen her since she dropped me off this morning. I thought she was with you.", Henry threw back putting Robin on the spot. Robin swallowed hard, nervous at how Henry was looking at him. "Did you upset her, Robin?", Henry pushed further. He couldn't stand the pressure that Robin put on his mother. He was tired of waiting for his mom to see him for who he really was.

"NO! No. She just heard something at the diner that upset her and then she left. I've been trying to find her ever since." Robin shifted uncomfortably in his place while standing on the front porch.

"Well, as you can see, she isn't here." Henry stood back and held out his arms to show Robin that the house was quiet.

"Yeah. I can see that. I apologize for disturbing you." '_you spoiled brat._' I guess I'll continue my search elsewhere.

"You do that, Robin." Henry then shut the door and turned around to see Mal smiling at him.

"You did good, Kid." She walked up and wrapped an arm around Henry's shoulder. "I'm proud of you."

Henry just blushed and followed Mal to the kitchen to get a bite to eat with his little sister.

* * *

Regina gradually regained consciousness again. Earlier, she had heard Tristan play the violin, but the music soothed her back into rest. She wasn't able to speak or open her eyes at that point. Now she was beginning to move her fingers and squint at the light entering the bedroom window between the slits in the curtains. When she finally opened her eyes, she looked around to get her bearings and saw Emma lying next to her in a prone position, her back covered in bandages.

With her eyes filling with tears, '_I did that to her'_, Regina pushed herself up to a sitting position. She was still a little dizzy from the head trauma so she grabbed the nearby nightstand for additional stability. Turning more towards Emma, Regina raised her hands and held them over Emma's back where she began pouring healing magic into the blonde. '_That blast I sent causes wounds to reopen themselves when the day begins again. I must stop this.'_ The angry looking wounds began healing and the bandages fell from Emma's skin when they were no longer needed.

The bedroom door then opened and Henry walked in with a sandwich in his mouth, his plate filled with chips in his hands. He stopped midstride, staring at his mothers while the entire sandwich still hung from his lips. "YourououroruWwouowuow"

Regina rolled her eyes, "Would you mind repeating that without the half-masticated food in your mouth?"

Henry shuffled over to his chair to put the plate and sandwich down, "You're awake!"

"I am. How did I get here?" Regina withdrew her hands from Emma once the burns were healed and turned to face her son.

"Emma blocked your attack when it was about to hit Tris and then she fell unconscious. Tris got angry and apparently has magic which she used to throw you across the yard." He winced while recapping the events.

Regina swallowed hard, "That was True Love magic, Henry. You know what that means? Killian is Emma's True Love."

Henry was so fed up with the drama and finally slammed his hands on the chair and grabbed his plate with his sandwich and chips. "If you had just stayed when Ma asked you to this morning then we wouldn't be here right now!"

Regina had a confused look on her face, but didn't miss his tone, "Watch your mouth, young man. I won't have you speaking to me that way."

Henry rolled his eyes and began to walk out of the bedroom, but right before he exited, he turned around, "You know that letter from Grandpa you were so curious about? It proves that Tristan is your daughter. Yeah. That's right. You are Ma's True Love. Now fix this and figure it out!" He then walked out and slammed the bedroom door leaving Regina with her jaw to the floor.

The sheets began to stir next to Regina and when she looked towards Emma, she saw the blonde bury her face in the pillow and grumble out something that sounded like 'Dammit Henry'.

Regina was still speechless and watched Emma return to the world of the living slowly. She sat up and tested her extremities out. Next she stretched her arms and reached behind herself to feel her back. "That's strange. I've never healed that quickly before. It usually takes a full night." Emma continued to check herself over while ignoring Regina. Once assured that she was completely healed, Emma hopped out of bed and skipped into her walk-in closet for a change of clothes. After a few minutes, she returned out of the closet and then used the bathroom. Finally,she stepped back out to put on her shoes. All the while, Regina was watching her and waiting for her to comment on what Henry had just said.

"She's mine?", Regina asked softly.

Emma didn't look at her, but answered her question while brushing out her hair. "Apparently."

Regina slid off the bed and stood up, testing her balance before walking over to Emma who sat in front of her mirror pulling her hair back into a ponytail. "How?"

With a heavy sigh, Emma closed her eyes and put the hair brush down, "I was pregnant when I kissed you goodbye that night. We shared True Love's kiss which changed the DNA of the child for survival of the True Love. That's why she looks so much like you. She's yours. Ours." Emma then grabbed her mascara to apply so that she could continue to avoid looking at Regina. "It's all in Rumple's magical journal over there if you want proof."

Regina looked at the opened book and then turned back to Emma shaking her head, "And she's like…..you. A….."

Emma slammed her mascara on the dresser, "A monster? Yeah. She's just like me." Emma stood up and went to look for her jacket in the closet.

"No! I didn't mean it like that. I just meant….."

"Save it, Regina. You accused me of turning her." Emma choked up at that. It was still such a sensitive topic for her. She carried so much guilt for how Tristan turned out. "You thought so little of me.", she said quietly, almost inaudible.

With apologetic eyes, Regina put her hand on Emma's arm, "I'm so sorry, Emma. I wasn't thinking. I get so protective of children and didn't think before I spoke. I know you wouldn't do something like that. You aren't that kind of person."

"You're right, I'm not. She was turned when I was attacked while pregnant with her. If it wasn't for Mal, we'd both be dead." Emma slid her jacket on and finally stared at Regina allowing her to process the news.

"Mal." Regina stared into space and then continued, "Are you two happy? Does she make you happy?"

"She's my best friend. She's my family." A protective tone came from Emma as if challenging Regina to dispute her claims.

Regina tried to smile, but the pain was too great. "I'm glad that you have someone that makes you happy, Emma. You deserve your happily ever after." She looked at the floor and Emma noticed the small droplets falling from her face and onto the carpet.

"My happily ever after? What are you talking about?

Regina looked up at Emma confused at the question, "She's your girlfriend, isn't she?"

Emma then caught up with what Regina was implying and began to laugh out loud.

"What's so funny?" Regina was annoyed not getting the joke.

"Mal and I dated for a while, but we decided that we were best suited as friends. Now she's more like a sister to me and an aunt to Tristan."

Regina nodded, "Emma, we need to talk about everything. I have so many questions and I'm so confused." Emma sighed. She knew they needed to clear the air. She still wasn't ready to share everything with Regina and she knew Regina definitely wasn't ready to hear it all, but she had a right to know about Tristan.

"Why don't we get together in about 3 hours? We can take Tris to the park and get her some ice cream while we chat. I can then properly introduce you two."

Regina's face brightened at the idea and her smile could light up a room. She wiped the stray tears from her cheeks, "I'd love that, Emma. Thank you." She hugged Emma which took the blonde by surprise and caused her body to stiffen. Regina quickly retracted, "I'm sorry, I'm just so excited. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Regina grabbed her own arm and looked thoroughly embarrassed with herself. It definitely lightened the atmosphere and Emma visibly relaxed.

"It's fine. I'll meet you at the park by the lake at….3?"

"Perfect! I'll bring some bread slices so Tristan can feed the ducks. If that's alright with you, of course." Regina didn't want to step on Emma's toes when it came to Tristan.

"That sounds wonderful, Regina. We will see you then."

Regina smiled brightly and then disappeared in her signature purple smoke leaving Emma to gather her thoughts. She looked across the room at the still unopened letters that Rumple had left for her. "How many more landmines am I going to find in them?" She shook her head and walked out of the room to join her family downstairs.

* * *

Emma quietly walked downstairs and watched her family at the table eating their sandwiches. Henry was talking about how much he benched the other day while Audrey sat and listened to him captivated by how much he'd grown. She was feeling his bicep while he flexed and showed off. Mal was talking to Tristan while they ate their chips and gave each chip a name.

"Which chip is Mommy?", Mal asked.

Tristan concentrated to make sure and choose the perfect one and then grabbed the largest on her plate, "This one!", Then she took a huge bite.

"Wow! So, if that was Mommy, which one is Henry?", Mal kept playing the game.

Tristan looked at her chips and found a funny shaped one and chose that to show Mal. Emma just chuckled at how adorable the two were. Mal was amazing with her. She finally decided to announce her presence.

"Got room for one more?"

Every turned around and flew out of their chairs to hug Emma.

"Mommy!" Tristan ran into Emma's arms as Emma hoisted her up and kissed her on her cheek. "Hey, Stinkerbelle! Were you good while I was sleeping?" Tristan nodded and she looked over at Mal and then back to her mother. "Thank you so much for the beautiful music you played for me, Sweetie. It really helped me feel better."

Tristan blushed and smiled brightly as she hugged her mother and buried her face in Emma's neck. Emma then turned to Henry. "Hey, Kid. Thank you for getting me upstairs. I knew it had to be you."

Henry flexed to show off and then hugged his biological mother. "I'm so glad you're ok, Ma. Mom's magic really did heal you quickly."

Emma stepped back looking shocked, "Your Mom healed me?"

"Well, yeah. How do you think you healed so quickly?" Henry studied her.

"Oh! I just figured it was because I was….different.", Emma winced.

Henry gently smiled in return, "No, it was Mom. I saw her finishing up when I came back to check on you."

"Yeah. Thanks a lot, by the way. I heard your little outburst.", Emma rolled her eyes and Mal and Audrey looked confused. Emma turned to them, "He told Regina about Tris!"

The ladies both turned to glare at Henry who refused to apologize, "What? It needed to come out and my Moms keep making things far more complicated than they really need to be. I broke the ice. Now it's up to them."

Both ladies then nodded and looked back at Emma for a retort, but she was speechless. She could tell they completely agreed with Henry's assessment. Emma swallowed and took a deep breath, "Fine! You're right. I agreed to meet Regina in the park with Tris at 3 to talk."

This got Tristan's attention, "The park? We're going to the park?"

"After your nap, Sweetheart.", Emma reminded. She then put Tristan down so that she could go back to the table and finish her lunch.

Mal and Audrey were next in the hugs. "You gave us a scare, Hon.", Audrey began.

Mal then chimed in, "Thank the Gods you're alright. Your little girl showed us a bit of her magic when she attacked Regina."

"What?! She attacked Regina?!", Emma looked back and forth between the ladies and then to Henry who nodded his head in confirmation.

"Ma, she used her magic to throw Mom across the yard and into the side of the house, knocking her out."

Emma looked at her daughter while she continued to finish her sandwich and chips. "Son of a bitch!"

Tristan picked up on the familiar words and responded, "Snow White!"

This confused Emma. "What about Snow White, Sweetie?"

Tristan innocently turned around, "Snow White is a bitch!"

"Mal!", Emma knew immediately whose fault this was and Henry and Audrey both stared at Mal silently scolding her.

Mal just rolled her eyes, "What? It's true!"

* * *

Regina had poofed back to her house to shower and freshen up. Her head was still sore so she first went and grabbed a bag of frozen peas to put on the back of her head. She wasn't able to heal herself as she couldn't see what she was doing on the back of her head. She went to her bedroom and sat on the chaise lounge across from her bed, leaning her head back onto the frozen bag of peas and closing her eyes. '_I have a daughter. I have a daughter with Emma. Emma is my True Love._' Happy tears ran down her cheeks as a smile began to spread across her face.

The front door opened and heavy footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs. Robin entered the bedroom looking for something and found Regina on the chaise. "Darling! There you are!" He ran over to Regina. "What happened to your head? Are you alright?"

Regina had tensed when she heard him walking up the stairs, knowing who the heavy footsteps belonged to. She quickly wiped her tears away and tried to relax to no avail.

"I'm fine, Robin. It was just a little accident. I slipped on some steps and hit the back of my head. I guess the news of Maleficent had me distracted." Regina sat up slowly and then put her legs down on the carpet and slid off her heals, "I'm going to take a shower. I feel a little grungy after falling. I can make us a little something to eat afterwards."

"How about we shower together?" Robin put his hand on her arm as his eyes dilated with a lecherous look on his face.

The color drained from Regina's face. She had to think fast, "I'm afraid I'm not feeling well, Robin. My head is still hurting so I'd like to take a shower alone. I'm guessing I should avoid extreme exertion until I get my head checked.", she smiled apologetically.

Robin knew it was a weak excuse, but he didn't want to call her a liar and make things any worse between them. "That's alright, Darling. I know! We can spend the afternoon together and I can take care of you."

Regina was feeling so guilty. She knew he loved her and was truly trying to be her knight in shining armor. She just didn't love him that way. She cared for him, but she never developed that special bond. '_How could fairy dust be wrong? Why did it choose Robin when Emma is my True Love?_' She continued to try and work through a solution, but then remembered Robin was waiting for her answer.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Robin. I promised Emma that I'd meet her this afternoon at the park with Tristan to catch up and feed the ducks. Perhaps another time?" She then quickly walked to her closet and picked out a change of clothes and hurried into the bathroom where she locked the door and started the shower.

Robin's eyes narrowed at the closed door, '_she never locks the door_.' Anger brewed as Robin looked to the corner of the bedroom where his quiver stood on the floor. The silver tip of the arrows catching the sunlight just right causing him to squint his eyes. He stormed over and grabbed the quiver. Then he quickly went downstairs and grabbed his bow from the hall closet and left with a mission on his mind.

* * *

Two hours later, Emma was washing dishes and picking up toys while Tristan continued to nap. She was nervous and needed to decompress. She needed a piano.

"Hey, Aud. Do you mind if I go bang on the piano for a bit before I leave with Tris? I won't be very long. I'm just so anxious about meeting Regina. I need to do something. You can call me if you need me." She hated always leaning on Audrey lately. Emma was thought of herself as always being the tough one.

"Of course, you can go. No problem. Tris is so easy anyway. Mal and I have got it covered."

Mal smiled at Audrey apologetically, "Actually, I was hoping I could go out for a little while and get familiar with this town. I'm getting a little bit of cabin fever here."

Emma and Audrey just chuckled.

"Understandable, Mal. Don't worry. I can stay with Audrey and you can go on out."

"Don't be ridiculous, Em! I'm a big girl. Hell, I took care of you when you were younger didn't I?" Audrey winked at the blonde who blushed thinking about how difficult she was back then.

"Alright. I guess we'll both head out then. Thank you so much for this Audrey." Emma hugged her friend tight and then disappeared in a puff of white magic.

Mal smiled at Audrey and then disappeared in her lilac magic leaving Audrey alone. Audrey just shook her head, "I'll never get used to that."

* * *

Emma reappeared in the clock tower and quickly sat down at the piano and stretched her fingers. She knew exactly what she wanted to play; Beethoven's Sonata No.8 in C minor, Opus 13 Pathetique. She quickly began the first movement; Grave.

Below, passersby stopped and quickly closed their eyes as their 'ghost' serenaded them. Their bodies began to sway to the music. Regina happened to be walking by having just come from the store to buy bread for the ducks. She heard the music and immediately stopped to listen. 'The unorthodox mixture of notes moves from aggressive to graceful. The dramatic Allegro has her heart pumping faster waiting for the final cadence. When it's over, her body is almost shaking from the experience, but she's not given time to think as the second movement of the Sonata begins; The Adagio.

The slow beginning helps to calm her heart rate. The intensity in which it is played causes tears to become trapped in Regina's closed eyes. Her mind and body are overcome with a peacefulness. What began as a stressful composition had wandered into a calm melody. '_This person is nervous, but trying to find serenity_.'

As the third movement begins, The Rondo: Allegro, the message became torn. Between the uplifting harmonies mixed with the dramatic crescendos resembling the first movement, Regina's body and mind battled one another. The body responded more to the aggressive hints in the movement while her mind tried to focus on the relaxing flows of softer notes. Tears spilled from the still closed eyes as her arms wrapped around herself while she swayed. A small smile played on her lips as her body warmed to the crisp notes coming from the above. '_I must find out who this ghost is. The effect their talent has on me is overwhelming_.'

When the song ended, Regina opened her eyes and looked up at the clocktower. She knew if she magicked herself up there, she'd find it empty, but she had to try. When she transported herself next to the piano, the room was already empty. She looked around the room knowing the ghost wouldn't have left any clues, but still, she willed them to show themselves. Next, Regina sat at the piano and pressed a key. She could still faintly pick up hints of citrus and floral scents in the air. Checking her watch, she realized she better get going if she wanted to be on time meeting Emma and their daughter so she quickly left using her magic.

* * *

Maleficent walked into the diner after walking down mainstreet. "Hey, Gorgeous! Just have a seat anywhere and I'll be with you in a minute." Mal stared at the scantly clad waitress who was winking at her and so Mal slyly grinned back at her and chose to sit at a booth in the back.

While looking at the menu, Mal noticed the waitress rubbing a brunette woman's back as she sat at the counter looking serious. The waitress then said something to her and walked towards Mal.

"Sorry for the wait, Hon. What can I get ya?"

Mal allowed her eyes to move up and down the sexy waitress' body. She didn't care that she was being obvious.

"My name is Red, but I also go by Ruby." She gave Mal a wolfish grin. "And you are?"

Maleficent smiled, "I'm Maleficent, but you can call me Mal." She held out her hand which Ruby took and kissed the top of. Mal looked over Ruby's shoulder, "I hope I'm not distracting you from your woman." Mal's eyes then wandered back to Ruby.

While confused at first, Ruby quickly caught on, "That's Belle. Her True Love just recently died so I've been helping her out. I lost my True Love many years ago so I know what she's going through." Ruby became serious and looked down at her feet.

Mal cleared her throat, "I lost my True Love a longtime ago as well. Perhaps I could….help?"

Ruby looked up at Mal and saw the devious grin on her face. That caused Ruby to smile and then she winked at Mal, "Perhaps you could…help."

Both women stared at each other while their hands were still joined. Ruby finally broke out of the trance, "What can I get you? Besides Belle and myself?"

Mal's smile spread wide, "How about a slice of pecan pie, a Coke and your phone numbers?"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Robin situated himself on the rooftop of a building near the park where Regina was meeting Emma. Bow in hand with silver tipped arrow loaded, he patiently watched as Regina paced back and forth in front of the lake. His breathing was heavy, but he tried to slow it down by taking slower, deeper breaths through his nose. He closed his eyes trying to calm his anger. When he opened his eyes, he saw Emma and her daughter approaching Regina so he crouched down and tightened the grip on his bow.

* * *

Regina was nervous. While she paced in front of the lake, she had her thumb nail in her mouth nibbling on the short, manicured nail. '_She's my True Love. I have a daughter. My daughter already hates me_.' When she turned around and looked up, she saw Emma in the distance walking towards her while holding Tristan's hand. Regina took a deep breath and smiled wide at the pair as they walked towards her. She could see Emma telling Tristan something as Tristan looked at Regina hesitantly and then back at her blonde mother. The little girl nodded her head and then stared at Regina as they got closer.

"Hi.", Emma said as she shyly smiled.

"Hello, Emma." Regina then looked down at her daughter and kneeled in front of her, "Hello, Tristan. I'm so happy to see you." She smiled at the shy little girl and held out the bread that she brought. "How would you like to help me feed the ducks? I don't think I can do it by myself."

Tristan stared at the bread and then back up to Regina as she continued to hold Emma's hand. Regina held her breath as Tristan stayed silent, obviously thinking about what to do. Tristan was adorable in her embroidered blue jeans, Elsa sweatshirt and ponytails with blue bows. Regina's eyes were watering with happiness and she tried to keep the tears from falling.

Tristan noticed this and seemed confused. "Why are you crying, Gina?"

Regina chuckled at the nickname, "I'm sorry, Darling. I'm just so happy to see you and I'm also so sad that I upset you and hurt your Mommy. I didn't mean to hurt her." Regina then looked down at the ground as tears finally fell.

Tristan looked up at Emma and then back down at Regina and finally let go of her mother's hand. She walked over and hugged Regina, "Don't cry, Gina. I'm sorry I hurt you too."

Holding her daughter was the best feeling in the world. Warmth spread across Regina's body. She could feel her magic swelling and coming to the surface as if trying to reach out to Tristan. Tristan's magic called to hers, but the little girl was unaware of it.

Finally pulling back, Tristan asked, "Can we feed the ducks now?"

Both women smiled at their daughter and Emma took the lead, "You bet we can, Honey."

Regina stood up and opened the bread bag, handing two slices to Tristan and two to Emma. The little girl quickly ran to the edge of the lake and turned around, "Come on! They're here! They're here!", she pointed to the ducks approaching her.

Tristan broke off small pieces of bread and quickly started tossing them to the ducks while Regina and Emma stared at her and picked at their slices slowly so that she could finish for them. Robin watched from his vantage point with a pair of binoculars. '_I could've used this amazing device back in the Enchanted Forest to help with my missions_.' He watched the trio perplexed. '_Maybe I don't need to worry about Emma. She hasn't made any moves towards Regina. If anything, she seems cold. They're just feeding the ducks_.'

When the bread was gone, Regina offered to buy all three of them ice cream from the stand nearby.

After finding a picnic table, Regina began asking Tristan questions. "I see you like the movie Frozen. Who is your favorite character?"

Tristan got very excited, "Elsa!"

Regina just kept smiling, enjoying the quality time. "I see that. Your blue bows are beautiful. Do you like the color blue?"

"It's my favorite color because that's what Elsa likes. I'm gonna be a princess like Elsa when I grow up."

"Oh, Sweetheart. You're already a princess. A beautiful little princess." Regina reached out and cupped the little girl's cheek with her right hand. Tristan blushed and kept licking her ice cream cone.

Regina wanted to connect with her new daughter so she tried throwing out some things that she enjoyed, "My favorite ice cream is peanut butter and chocolate."

"Mine too!" Tristan turned to Emma, "Gina's favorite is the same as mine!"

Emma smiled, "I heard. I'm not very surprised though. You and Gina are a lot alike, Sweetie." Emma rubbed her daughter's back and then hesitantly continued after clearing her throat, "You see, Tris, Gina is actually your other Mommy."

Tristan looked at her mother confused; her eyebrows knitted together processing the information. "What about my Daddy?"

Emma closed her eyes for a second and then continued, "You see, Honey, most kids have one mommy and one daddy, but you're special. You get to have two mommies!" Emma then motioned to Regina, "You've got beautiful dark hair like Gina and your green eyes are like mine."

The four-year-old looked back and forth from Regina to Emma. She finally settled back on Emma, "Does that mean I'll be pretty like Gina when I grow up?"

Tears continued to fall down Regina's cheeks as she smiled and sniffled. Emma blushed as she tried not to look at the brunette. "You're already beautiful, Tris, just like Gina."

The little girl's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Hen Hen says Gina is a Queen." She then addressed her new mother, "Do you have pretty dresses and crowns?"

Emma rolled her eyes, "Oh yeah. She's got dresses, Tris. They are stunning."

Regina just blushed. Emma used to always talk about her dresses, asking to see her in them. Back then she thought nothing of it, but now she has a better understanding of what Emma liked about them.

Tristan stood up and jumped up and down, "I wanna see them! Can I please?"

Regina looked up at Emma, silently asking for permission, to which Emma nodded yes. Regina then turned to Tristan and grabbed the little girl's hands, "How about we go back to my house and I'll show you some of them." She winked at Tristan and then smiled back up at Emma.

Emma watched the interaction and her heart swelled, '_Regina is as beautiful as ever. She's glowing right now. I'm so glad she's Tristan's other parent and not Killian_.' Emma's heart sped up thinking about her ex, but she took a few deep calming breaths and then tried to think of something else to help her relax. '_I wonder if Regina will model any of her dresses. Oh God. Just imagining her in those outfits_…'

Clearing her throat, Emma got their attention, "Well, let's go then." She quickly began cleaning up their napkins and ice cream cone papers off the picnic table while trying to hide her flustered state, but Regina could see how red Emma had become. She knew what Emma was probably thinking about and it made her heart swell.

* * *

Robin had been watching the interactions. '_What are they doing? Did Regina just want to meet Killian's kid? Where are they going?_'

"What do we have here?", a voice behind Robin asked.

Robin dropped his binoculars and quickly stood up and whipped around to see Maleficent with an evil grin on her face. "And what do you think you're doing, Robin?", Mal glanced down at the bow and silver tipped arrows. One of her eyebrows rose and then her eyes moved back to Robin for an explanation.

"This doesn't concern you, Witch."

"Oh, but I think it does. When I find you threatening my family, it concerns me. Emma and Tristan are my family, Forest Boy." She raised her right hand and with a flourish, she magicked his weaponry away and then walked up close to look Robin dead in the eye. "If you hurt my loved ones, it will be the very last thing you do. I will come for you and your loved ones and there will be nothing left to find." She then disappeared in a cloud of lilac magic.

Robin was furious. He grabbed his binoculars and threw them against the roof he was standing on, causing them to shatter.

* * *

Regina grabbed Tristan's left hand and Emma took her daughter's right hand as they walked towards the car to drive back to Regina's place. Regina had used magic to go to the park so Emma offered to drive them to the mansion.

Once Tristan was snapped into her car seat, both ladies climbed into the front seats of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Regina looked around the car, "So you finally got rid of the bug? I never thought I'd see the day."

Emma nodded as she pulled into the street and watched the road, "I've made a lot of lifestyle changes these past few years."

While Regina's comment about the bug had been light-hearted, Emma's response was all serious which caught Regina off-guard. The Queen stopped smiling and stared at Emma's profile as she drove. Emma could feel Regina's eyes on her, but she remained stoic while watching the road.

* * *

Tristan looked around the large house in awe. She walked further into the living room and then turned to Regina, "How come there are no toys?"

Regina began smiling again while Emma stood back stiff and quiet. "That's because Henry is all grown up, but how about this? You tell me what toys you like and I'll see what I can do?"

Emma looked up concerned, "Regina, no.", but it was too late.

Tristan was telling Regina what she liked to play with and with a snap of her fingers, several of Tristan's favorite toys materialized in the middle of the living room floor. The loud scream of excitement could probably be heard across the street as Tristan ran to the pile.

Regina then addressed Emma, "How about something to drink?"

"I'll just have an iced tea. Tris will probably have juice, whatever kind you have."

Regina nodded and began to walk to the kitchen. As Emma followed, she turned back to address her daughter, "Tris, I'm gonna go help Gina get us some drinks so be a good girl, okay?" The little girl didn't look up, but simply nodded. Emma rolled her eyes and went into the kitchen with Regina.

"You didn't have to do that for her. She has plenty of toys."

Regina looked up after pouring the iced tea. "I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to. This is my first time officially meeting my daughter. I needed something in my house for her to play with." She handed the tea to Emma and then went for the apple juice in the fridge.

After all the drinks were poured, Regina turned to Emma. "Now what dress would Tristan like to see do you think?" Emma's eyes grew wide realizing what Regina was going to do next. Before she could get any words out, Regina was engulfed in purple magic and when it cleared, she was in a large black dress with a high collar that was covered in beautiful jewels. A large, diamond heart necklace accented with diamond arrows accentuated her plunging neckline. Her hair was longer and pulled up with a beautiful black and diamond hairpiece that came down onto the middle of her forehead.

Emma's mouth went dry and her heartrate sped up. Cheeks grew red as her eyes trailed up and down Regina's body. The Queen watched Emma drink her in and grinned as she stepped into Emma's personal space. "See something you like, Dear?"

Emma swallowed hard and nodded in confirmation, but was speechless. '_My God she's beautiful. Robin is so lucky._'

Regina put her hand on Emma's cheek and Emma leaned into the caress as she closed her eyes, soaking in the touch of her queen. "I've missed you, Emma. I'm so sorry I hurt you."

Tears spilled from closed eyes as Emma slowly shook her head in silence. Regina smiled apologetically, "Open your eyes, Emma."

Emma shook her head harder and bowed her head down.

Regina then put her index finger under Emma's chin and lifted her head up to face her, but Emma's eyes remained closed. "I can't do this, Regina. Please. It hurts too much."

Regina leaned in and gently pressed her plump, red lips into Emma's pale pink ones causing a ring of white magic to spread from them. This time they both felt the magic while they stood at the epicenter. The blonde stood in place, but her lips quickly responded. The tears spilled from her eyes at a steadier stream as she sobbed between kisses. Eventually, her hands wrapped around Regina's small waist and pulled her in for a deeper kiss. Regina's tongue cautiously explored Emma's lips, gently asking for entry to which Emma granted in kind. Tongues began to battle for dominance and moans could be heard, but they weren't sure which moan belonged to whom. Regina's hands combed through blonde locks as she pulled Emma closer to her body causing their bodies to be pressed together at every juncture. However, just as things heated up, Tristan's whines cooled them down.

"I need to go potty, Mommy!"

Emma quickly pushed Regina back and looked panicked. "What was I thinking? Dammit!" Emma ran over and grabbed a paper towel to wipe the lipstick off of her kiss-swollen lips. She ran her hands through her long, wavy hair, a tell-tale sign she was anxious, and then whirled on Regina.

"That was a mistake and will never happen again." Emma went to leave the kitchen to go get her daughter, but Regina grabbed her arms and stopped her.

"What do you mean a mistake? Emma, we're True Loves."

That was the wrong thing to say to Emma. The red color on her face that began as lust, quickly morphed into anger and hurt. Emma's body was a study in conflict. Her mind was angry, her heart hurt and her body betrayed both with arousal.

"You're just like everyone else. I thought you were different." Emma angrily wiped her tears away, but treacherous new ones continued to fall.

"What do you mean? What did I do?"

Taking several deep breaths, Emma finally answered, "You only want me for my title. Everyone in this town only wants me for my title, whether I'm their princess, their savior, or in this case…your True Love. No one loves me for ME! You only want me because of my title. You didn't choose me. You followed Robin because he was your soul mate and now, you're suddenly interested in me because I'm your True Love."

Regina shook her head as her eyes began to glisten with tears, but Emma continued to attack, "I loved you for YEARS! YEARS! I still love you for God's sake! I didn't choose you because you were a queen or a mayor. I chose you because you had a beautiful soul. When I was with you, it felt like I was home. I never felt like I had a home here, but for a while, you were my home. And then you discovered your soul mate and I lost my home. I tried to tell you how I felt, but knew you didn't feel the same way. Finally, when I had to leave for Audrey, I put it all on the line and kissed you. I knew it was a mistake, but a little voice in my head kept telling me 'maybe she'll come after you', but you never came." Emma shook her head and sobbed. "You never came. You followed Robin for his title." She then wiped her nose with a paper towel and then wiped her eyes as she finally got control of her emotions. "Now you want me for my title. Not for me. You don't love me. You love the idea of me." The tears had stopped and Emma was finally getting it together. "I get it, Regina. I really do. You had a crap life. You went through hell and were desperate for your happy ending. I'd probably be the same way." Emma walked up to Regina again, "I won't keep Tristan from you while we're in Storybrooke. You can visit as much as you'd like. I will answer any questions you have about her, but I will not discuss us. There is no us. Once I'm done with what Rumple has tasked me to do, then we're going back home to Boston."

Regina was stunned. She didn't miss Emma's emphasis on the word 'home'. "You'd take my daughter away from me as punishment?"

Emma huffed, "I'm not taking her away. We can work out a visitation schedule. I won't keep her from you."

"Emma, please. We need to talk about this. I'm not interested in you because of your title, as you say. I just…."

Before Regina could continue, Tristan came into the kitchen, "I need to go potty, Mommy."

Tristan saw Regina in her Evil Queen dress and gasped, her bathroom emergency long forgotten, "Wooooowwwwwww. You're a QUEEN!"

Regina quickly wiped away her tears and put on her best face as she smiled at her little girl, "Yes, I am. That makes you a princess, Sweetheart."

Tristan just continued to smile and stare at her new mother as her hands felt the soft silk of the dress and she touched the shiny jewels that bedazzled the gown. "Can I have a princess dress?"

Regina bent over and kissed Tristan's forehead, "I bet we can get you one." She winked at Tristan and the little girl jumped up and down in excitement. The jumping quickly reminding the tot of her earlier problem. "I need to potty, Mommy."

Emma picked up Tristan, "Where is your restroom, Regina?"

Regina guided the pair to the guest bathroom and Emma left the door open while helping Tristan with her jeans and then lifting her onto the toilet. Once the task was completed, Emma helped lift Tristan to the sink so she could wash her hands. "All set, Sweetie!" Emma turned to Regina, "I believe it's time for us to leave."

Using magic, Regina changed back to her earlier clothes and then stepped forward, "Emma, please. Please stay. I can fix us dinner and we could talk. I won't push. I'd love to spend more time with my daughter and learn more about her. Please." Regina wasn't accustomed to begging, but she couldn't lose Emma and Tristan. She wasn't ready to let them go just yet. She was so close to having her family together.

Tristan watched her mothers' exchange, not understanding why Gina was so upset. She looked back to Emma while holding her hand, "Can we stay, Mommy?"

Emma debated internally. She knew that while Regina could never truly love her, Regina did truly love Tristan. She loved all children. She didn't want to keep Regina and Tristan apart because of her own feelings. Then there was Robin. She had no desire to share a meal with him. She couldn't stay in this house and risk his return so she had an idea, "Why don't you come to our house for dinner. Then I won't have to see Robin."

Emma stared at Regina as if daring her to defend the pine cone, but she never did. Instead, Regina smiled gratefully and nodded, "That would be lovely, Emma. Thank you. Thank you so much."

Regina grabbed her daughter's hand and smiled down at her. "Why don't I bring that princess dress tonight when I come over?" She then kneeled down in front of Tristan.

Tristan beamed at the idea and quickly hugged her new mommy, "Okay!" She wrapped her arms around Regina's neck and kissed her cheek which caused Regina to hold her tighter and kiss her daughter back.

Standing back up, Regina asked Emma, "What time shall I be there?"

"How about 6? I was planning on having a taco bar tonight so I hope you like Mexican food."

That got Tristan's attention, "Can we have chips and dippies?"

Regina was confused, but Emma obviously knew what dippies were, "Yes. We'll have chips, salsa and guacamole."

"YAY!" Tristan jumped up and down and then looked up at Regina, "Mommy makes the best dippies."

Regina smiled at that and looked at Emma, "You cook now?"

Emma just shrugged, "Like I said, I've made a lot of changes."

As Regina led them to the front door to walk them out, Tristan stopped and looked around one more time before pointing to the study door, "What's in there?"

Regina walked her over and opened the door to show her, "It's my study. This is where I work from home and read. I also relax in here in the evenings."

Tristan walked in and studied the room. She then noted, "You don't have music here."

Regina looked at her daughter confused, "Music?"

"Why don't you have music here?"

Emma had just walked in and froze as she heard the question. She quickly spoke up, "Tristan, it's time to go. We need to go to the store before we make dinner later." She walked up and picked up her daughter who continued to look around as if searching for something.

Emma turned to walk out and looked over her shoulder to Regina, "Thank you for having us over, Regina. We'll see you later." Regina was left in her study shocked and confused at what just happened, but quickly shook her head and went to close the front door.

'_Now how to explain to Robin that I won't be home for dinner tonight_.'

* * *

_Meanwhile in Washington D.C.:_

_RING RING_

"Yeah. Uh-huh. Are you sure? Where? Dammit. Okay. I'll look into it. Last location seen? Yeah. How is that possible? Alright. Guess I'll send 'her' then. No, I'm serious. I'm not messing around anymore. They've caused enough trouble. Yeah, bye."

He shuffled some papers and typed in some stuff into the computer, then finally called out, "LILY, GET IN HERE!"

An athletic brunette in black leather pants, a tight white tank top and black leather jacket walked into the office, "What's up, Cane?"

"PD just called. It appears Hunter Team 8 disappeared in Maine after chasing a lead on Russell."

Lily sat down and put her boots up on the man's desk, "And?"

Rolling his eyes, he threw some paperwork at her, "And we need you to find the missing team and while you're there, see if you find out anything about Russell's whereabouts."

Lily threw the papers back, "Find someone else. I have no desire to travel to fucking Maine. You know why. Give me a mission in town. What about trailing that vamp from the club attack the other night?"

"You're going to Maine, Lil. You're the best vampire hunter we have. Your tracking skills are unmatched. Take a team with you if you want. Though knowing you, you'll want to go alone again." The man lit up a cigarette and leaned back in his desk chair waiting for best hunter to explode.

"The hell I will! I don't play well with others, Cane. You know this!" I refuse to use a team."

Cane smiled, "So does this mean you're going?"

Lily glared at him, "You bastard. I have no choice, do I?"

"Nope." Cane slid papers across the table. "The team was last seen in Livermore Falls and then they went radio silent. Russell and his gang were seen in Dexter when the team was first assigned by the PD." Lily studied the papers and photos and stared at one in particular of a brunette man with blue eyes and a hook for a hand. "That's the man Russell was last seen with in Dexter. We have no idea who he is. It's like the gang just disappeared." Lily grabbed her shell necklace subconsciously as she studied the material on the desk. It was always her security blanket ever since she was found on the side of the road as a baby with it.

"Here's your airline ticket and rental car info. You've got 3 hours to get your affairs in order before you need to be at the airport." Cane then pulled out a box, "Do you want any of these weapons for the trip?" He opened the box, but Lily didn't even look at them.

"I have what I need. If it ain't broke, you don't fix it. I'll stick with my own weapons." Lily got up and began to walk towards the exit, but turned at the last minute, "I can't believe you're making me go back there."

Cane stood up and walked over to Lily, "I know your history, Lil. I know they found you in Maine as a baby. This could be a chance for some closure. Go in, get out. It'll be fine and you'll have faced that final obstacle." Cane placed his hands on her shoulders, "Whatever happens, you still have a home here and we'll always be here for you." Lily just nodded and stared at the floor. Cane then continued, "I'll send more hunters if you need help, but I have no doubt that you'll complete this mission. Sending one hunter is much easier and more subtle than sending a whole team. You know this." Lily nodded again and then looked up at Cane. He then kissed her forehead, "You'll be fine, Lil."

Lily smiled and hugged him, "Thanks. I needed that." She pulled back, "I'll call you when I arrive and then let the local PD know what's going on."

"Good luck, Lil. Be careful."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Emma was cooking chicken and steak for the taco bar she'd serve in a couple of hours. The sides were already done and sitting in the fridge waiting to be set out. Her mind continued to replay the earlier events at Regina's house. She knew she was too emotional with Regina and probably overreacted, but she was also trying to be realistic. She didn't want to get close to Regina only to have her heart broken. She had hardened her heart the past several years to prevent herself from getting hurt. She hated hurting Regina, but it had to be done sooner rather than later. Tears formed just thinking of what their future could've been like had Regina chosen her. There would be no Killian and no vampirism to worry about.

"What's with the tears, my little swan."

Emma jumped at the surprise and saw Mal materialize in the kitchen with a bow and arrows in hand. Wiping her tears away she immediately zoned in on the silver tips of the arrows, "What the hell is that?"

"Robin had these on him while he was stalking you during your meeting at the lake.

Emma paled at the thought of what could've happened to Tristan or Regina. "How did you know?"

Mal just smiled arrogantly, "I smelled the silver after leaving the diner so I followed the scent. I noticed someone on the roof with them and knew you were nearby so it didn't take much to put 2 and 2 together. He had binoculars and was watching you."

Emma walked up and grabbed one of the arrows while studying the tip. "That bastard. How does he know about me? Do you think he knows about Tris?", she asked worriedly.

Mal shook her head, "I don't think he knows about any of us besides you. There's no way he could. Even Russell doesn't know about Tris or Audrey. He may know about me, but he doesn't know I have your abilities nor does he know my true identity."

Emma breathed out a sigh of relief, "Yeah, you're right." Emma heard the rice begin to boil on the stove and turned around to stir it, "What do we do, Mal?"

Maleficent walked up and put her hand on Emma's lower back, "I gave Robin a warning to leave my family alone, but we still need to be on our guard. I think it would be best to avoid open places like the park for a while. At least with Tris. Only take her to indoor places and only in the daytime."

Emma nodded and continued to stir. She then filled in Mal about her meeting with Regina and then explained how she invited her for dinner.

Maleficent listened as Emma vented and then waited until she was done with her story before speaking, "Emma, sweetie, I believe Regina really does love you. From what I've heard from Henry, she loved you back then." Emma was about to protest, but Mal put her hand up to silence her, "I know what you said, but I knew Regina many years ago before she was even given the title of Evil Queen. She's always been terrified of rejection. I believe you know that fear…" Emma kept her mouth shut and huffed, but Mal continued, "My guess is she had feelings for you, but was afraid of your reaction. She went with the 'sure thing'."

Emma waited for Mal to finish before giving her rebuttal, "I kissed her right before I left hoping she would see how I felt, but she didn't. She didn't seek me out. I think that's very telling, don't you?" Emma then slammed the spoon on the counter and removed the rice from the stove. Maleficent just pursed her lips, unable to think of an explanation for Regina's behavior.

Maleficent looked at the bow and arrows and changed the subject, "We need to tell Regina about this." Emma nodded, but stayed silent as she prepared her meal and continued to slam things on the counter. Mal left her to it knowing she wouldn't want any help nor would she want to discuss things any further.

* * *

Regina was wrapping a dress and hand mirror for Tristan when Robin walked into the house with Roland. She looked up and noticed he seemed angry. '_Oh great._'

"Robin, Roland, how was your day?", Regina asked while taping the side of her present.

Roland ran up to Regina seeing the wrapping paper, "Is this present for me?"

Regina smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but this is for Tristan.

"Is it her birthday?", the boy asked innocently.

"No, it's not. She doesn't have many toys here so I thought I'd give her a little something to play with while she's in Storybrooke." Regina knew she'd need a good excuse in front of Robin. Hopefully this was believable. She looked up, but could tell Robin wasn't pleased. She turned back to Roland, "Sweetie, I have some cookies in the kitchen that I made earlier. Can you try one for me and tell me if they're any good? I need a taste tester." She winked at the little boy whose dimpled smile grew wider and then he ran to the kitchen leaving Regina to deal with his disgruntled father.

"Why are you really giving Emma's kid a gift?", he asked coldly.

Regina continued her wrapping, making sure every crease was perfect, "Tristan had mentioned to me earlier that she wanted a princess dress. I showed her a dress from my days in the Enchanted Forest because Henry had mentioned my title to her and she asked if she could have a dress like mine. I thought I would do this for her. She's really a cute little girl."

Robin studied her while she wrapped the gift and decided to leave it alone. Instead, he turned towards the kitchen to join his son, "What time is dinner?"

Regina swallowed hard, "Well, Emma has invited me to dinner this evening so that I can give Tristan her gift so I won't be here. I've left some leftovers in the fridge for you to microwave or you can order in if you'd like."

Robin stopped his trek and whirled around, "Emma again? What's going on with you two?"

Regina stood up and laid the gift on the table, "Nothing is going on, Robin. You know very well that we used to be good friends before she left. We're just catching up from missing four years."

Robin stewed and Regina could tell he wanted to blow up, but he wouldn't do so with Roland in the house. "Robin, you need to get your temper in check. I'm done dealing with it. If you can't stay calm then I will have to ask you to leave my house. I'm sick and tired of your jealous tantrums."

"Excuse me? You're speaking to me as if I'm a child!"

"Well if the shoe fits, Dear.", Regina replied coolly. She knew she shouldn't have said it, but she was done dealing with him.

Robin walked up and grabbed her arm tight which caused her to yelp, "Ow! Robin, let go! You're hurting me!"

"NO! You're mine and you're going to learn your place.", he shoved her down causing the back of her head to hit the table. Tears formed in her eyes from hitting the already sensitive area on the back of her head. Reaching behind her head, she felt wetness and knew there was bleeding.

Regina slowly stood up, using the table to help her balance. The blood on her hand got on the cute wrapping paper of the gift, but Regina didn't notice. She stood up straight and glared at Robin, "I want you out of my house. Roland may stay until you find a place if need be, but you and I are done." Regina's voice stayed calm and even.

Magic began sparking in her finger tips which Robin immediately noticed so he took a few steps back and lifted his hands in mock surrender. Roland ran out of the kitchen hearing the scuffle, "What happened?"

Robin grabbed Roland and pulled him behind his body to shield him from Regina. Regina looked at the innocent boy and smiled softly, "Nothing's wrong, Dear. Your father and I just had a little disagreement."

Robin glared at Regina and turned to face his son, "Son, we're leaving." As Robin put his hand on Roland's back, a flash of red burst through the front door and grabbed Robin by the neck, lifting him into the air and cutting off his airway. Roland was screaming for his daddy while Regina stood stock still in shock at what she was seeing.

There was Emma in front of her, holding Robin up by the neck. Robin was grasping at Emma's hands trying to get her to release her hold, but wasn't having any success. When the shock wore off, Regina gingerly walked towards Emma while still using furniture to stay upright. She finally made it up to Emma and put her hand on Emma's shoulder and leaned into her as she spoke, "Emma, please, let him down."

Emma turned to look at Regina, red eyes glowing in anger and fangs protruding from her pale pink lips, "He hurt you."

"I know, but I'm fine. Really." Regina winced and Emma looked at Regina's hand on her shoulder with the blood on her fingers. The glow of her eyes grew brighter and her grip tightened further causing Robin to turn purple.

Emma turned back to Robin, "He tried to hurt us earlier at the park."

Regina looked up at Robin in surprise, "What?"

"Apparently he was on a rooftop with his bow and silver tipped arrows watching us with binoculars."

Roland was crying and begging Emma to let his father go. His tugging on Emma's jeans seemed to snap her out of her trance. Emma's eyes slowly changed from red to green as she tossed him across the room causing him to slam into the wall. Roland ran to his downed father while Emma turned around and grabbed Regina to steady her and examine her injuries.

Emma raised her right hand and held it to Regina's head. She closed her eyes and summoned her magic to heal Regina's head injury while her left hand stayed wrapped around Regina's waist. Unlike Regina's magic, Emma didn't need to see the injury in order to heal it since she had True Love's light magic. Emma leaned her forehead against Regina's and kept her eyes closed as she worked.

Emma's magic healed the damaged skin and repaired the underlying concussion. Her magic caused heat to spread throughout Regina's body and a tightness grew in her abdomen. Her panties became damp with arousal. Emma noted the redness in Regina's cheeks which caused Emma to blush in kind. When she looked into Regina's eyes, she noticed her pupils were blown wide.

Biting the inside of her cheek to stop herself from attacking Regina's pouty lips, Emma began to taste the iron of her own blood. When she was finished, she slowly removed her right hand from Regina's head, but maintained her hold on Regina's waist while staring at her. Emma's eyes kept moving from Regina's lips to her eyes and then back down again.

Regina's bloody hand came up to cup Emma's cheek, but Emma quickly grabbed it with her right hand and stared at the bloody fingers, "You're still hurt."

Clearing her throat, Regina shook her head, "No. This is the blood from my head wound. My hands are fine."

Emma stared at the blood longingly. She swallowed deeply and released her hold on Regina, needing to distance herself from the sweet temptation. Regina grabbed Emma to keep her close, "Please don't leave."

"I can't stay here. The blood…it's too potent.", Emma's eyes kept steering from Regina's fingers to Regina's beautiful brown eyes.

Regina lifted her bloody fingers and ran them across Emma's bloody lip, gently encouraging her to open her mouth. Emma slowly complied while continuing to stare at her queen. Regina then put her blood covered index finger into Emma's mouth, gently pressing the pad of her finger against Emma's tongue to promote her to suck on it.

Emma's eyes quickly changed to a glowing red and her fangs began extending from her gumline. Regina watched entranced and slightly nervous wondering if Emma could maintain control of her cravings. Slowly, Regina removed her clean finger and added her bloody middle finger, allowing Emma to clean it off. After all fingers were sucked clean, Regina softly smiled at Emma, "You see, I knew you wouldn't hurt me."

"Papa, wake up!" Roland's cries burst the bubble around the ladies and Regina quickly looked behind Emma to Robin's crumpled form.

"I need to get him to a hospital, Emma. I can meet you for dinner afterward." Regina intertwined their fingers together in reassurance. She then had a thought, "Emma, how did you know I was hurt?"

Emma blushed and looked down at their entwined hands, "Oh. Um. I was cooking and suddenly felt horrible head pain. I was nauseous and dizzy. Mal ran over to help me and then Tris came into the kitchen complaining of the same symptoms. Mal told me you must be injured so I immediately left and ran all the way here using my super speed. As I got closer to your house, I could smell your blood so I didn't knock.", she waited for Regina to scold her for breaking her door down, but instead she felt a hand cradle her cheek.

Emma looked up to see watery chocolate orbs looking at her in admiration. Regina wanted to kiss her savior so badly, but knew Emma wasn't ready for that yet. She had to go slow and prove to Emma that she truly loved her. "Thank you, Emma."

Emma smiled in return and blushed, "Yeah, no problem. I owe you an apology anyway for my earlier outburst." Emma rubbed the back of her head as if embarrassed, "I will always love you, Regina. I will always protect you. Hell, I would die for you.", she explained and grew more serious with each confession. Her gaze grew in intensity causing Regina's eyes to release their tears of happiness. '_She still loves me_.'

Clearing her throat, Emma moved back out of Regina's personal space, "Take care of the Pine Cone. I'll see you for dinner." Emma turned to look at the crying boy in his father's lap and then used her super speed to disappear from the living room.

Regina took a calming deep breath and walked over to Roland, pulling him into a hug, "It's okay, Roland. I'll take care of your Papa. Just hold my hand and I'll magic us to the hospital." She held out her hand and Roland didn't think twice. He took her hand and nodded and Regina used her other hand to grab Robin's wrist and teleport them to the ER.

* * *

David walked up to Regina in the waiting room, "Hey, Regina. I need to get a statement from you about what happened."

Regina had a sleeping Roland on her lap, "Can it wait until Henry gets here to take Roland? I don't want him to hear this."

David nodded his head, "Of course. Any word on how Robin is doing?"

Regina shook her head, "Nothing yet. They've been working on him for about half an hour." She continued to stroke Roland's wavy brown locks to keep him relaxed in sleep.

After ten more minutes, Regina looked up and saw Henry walking towards them in the hallway. She had already explained to him via text message what had happened. Regina gently nudged Roland awake, "Sweetheart, Henry's here to take you home while your Papa gets better." Roland nodded his head, not entirely awake. He silently grabbed Henry's hand and got off Regina's lap.

Henry hugged his mother, "I'm so glad you're okay. Thank goodness Ma was there." Regina hugged Henry tight, but just nodded knowing she needed to be filtered in front of Roland. Henry then grabbed Roland's hand and led him away to take him home.

David cleared his throat, "Regina, I really need to get this done. I'm sorry."

Regina took a deep breath and motioned to a table across the room for them to sit and have a little privacy. As she walked towards the table, she texted Emma that she would be delayed at the hospital.

Finally seated, she explained Robin's jealousy of her friendship with Emma and the violence that followed their heated conversation. Instead of discussing Emma's vampirism, she instead used Emma's magic to explain her abilities."

David wrote down everything and nodded as she told her story. She could tell he was trying to decide how to ask his next question. Finally, he spoke, "Why would Robin be jealous?"

"Excuse me?", Regina looked surprised at David's challenging tone.

"Why should he feel threatened by Emma?"

"I don't know, David. Why don't you ask him?", Regina shot back.

David held up his hands, "Regina, I'm not trying to imply something." He then stared at his pen debating on whether to voice his thoughts. "I just…I'm not blind, Regina. Before Emma left town, I could see how she felt about you and then that night at the diner when she returned and you walked in, I could still see the look in her eyes."

Regina pulled her eyebrows together, "What look?"

David smiled with an expression that said '_Really Regina?_', "She looks at you the way I look at Snow. She has stars in her eyes. When she saw you at the diner, she had a longing look."

Regina shook her head and looked away from David so David pushed further, "And I see how you look at her. I see how you look when talking about her."

Regina closed her eyes tight and tears spilled down her rosy cheeks.

David watched Regina lose the fight with herself. He knew he was right. "Is Tristan yours?"

Regina kept her eyes closed, debating on how to answer, but finally settled with a silent nod.

David swallowed hard and his eyes grew wide, but before he could respond, Regina interjected, "You will NOT tell Snow about our feelings or about Tristan's parentage, Charming. You hear me? You will keep your mouth shut!" The defensive queen was back. She was protecting her family.

David nodded, "I won't. I hate keeping secrets from Snow, but I don't know how she'd handle this right now. Our relationship with Emma is obviously strained and doesn't need any more drama between her and Snow."

"Agreed."

A vibrating sound could be heard in Regina's coat so she dug her hands through her pockets looking for the offending phone. "They gave me Robin's cell phone and other personal effects when they took him back." She pulled out the phone and looked at the notification of a text message received. Her eyes blew wide and her color paled. She swallowed hard and kept staring at the phone in disbelief.

David put his hand on her arm, "Are you ok? Who is it?"

Regina's hand shook while holding the device and turned to screen to show David.

_Killian Jones_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Hey, Cane, it's me."

Cane had just sat at his desk when he answered his phone, "Lily! Where are ya at?"

"I'm at Clayton Lake in Maine. I found the missing team members.", Lily sounded somber and Cane knew where this conversation was going.

"Let me guess, dead."

"Yeah. I found their bodies stuffed in a van near the lake. All members died by exsanguination. I've already notified the local authorities and they've sent out alerts to state officials about the rogue vampire gang on the loose." Lily had been driving around the outskirts looking for any hints as to where the gang had gone to. She was using her Bluetooth in the car to speak with Cane.

"You sound like you're in the car. Leaving so soon?"

"I left quite awhile ago. There's absolutely nothing out here so it would be easy for a gang to hide."

"I'm looking at a map of Maine right now as we speak. You're out in the sticks."

"Yeah, I just drove around a bunch of dirt roads and found nothing so I found a paved highway that I'm now driving on. Something told me to head northeast so that's where I'm going. So far, it's just trees and….what the hell?"

Cane sat up in his chair, "What is it, Lil?"

Lily stared at the large sign ahead and read it out loud, "Welcome to Storybrooke".

Cane typed on his computer and clicked search with no results, "Storybrooke?"

Lily stopped her car and looked at her map confused, "Yeah. That's what the sign says, but I'm looking at my map and don't see it on here."

"I'm searching on the computer here and there's no such thing as Storybrooke, Maine.", Cane kept looking and using different spelling variations and search keys.

"Cane, I swear that's what the sign says."

"Spell it for me, Lil."

Lily kept looking at her map and then up to the sign in front of her car, "S-t-o-r-y-b-r-o-o-k-e."

"What the hell is going on? How can a town just show up out of nowhere?"

Lily folded her map and made up her mind, "Cane, this has to be where they're hiding. What better place? I'm gonna go check it out."

"Be careful, Lil. Send me your coordinates before you leave so I know your last known check point."

"Will do. Wish me luck, Boss!" Lily hung up and sent him a text. After putting her phone back on the dash, she lit up a cigarette and rolled down her window. She knew it was a bad habit and kept trying to quit, but constant stress of the job kept dragging her back into it. Being in Maine wasn't helping matters. She was near where she was found as a newborn. "Well, here goes." Lily put the car in drive and proceeded to cross the town line and into the unknown.

* * *

Emma was just about finished preparing her taco bar when Mal came into the kitchen, "Any news from Regina?"

Emma shook her head, "Last I heard, she was being questioned by my dad."

Just then, a cloud of purple smoke filled the center of the kitchen and revealed Regina standing there.

"Emma! Your father is on his way here to question you about Robin's attack."

Emma paled and looked at Mal, "What do I do?"

Regina interjected, "I told him that you were passing by and heard the commotion in the house and used your magic to break in and defend me."

Emma nodded and took a deep breath, but before she could say something, Regina continued, "There's something else that you need to know. While I was with David, Robin's phone received a text message. Since I had his phone, I checked it and found this", she showed Emma the name of the sender; Killian Jones.

Emma's hands began to shake and the lights in the house began to flicker. Regina looked around in awe as Mal rushed over to Emma and grabbed her face with both her hands, forcing her to look into her eyes, "Hey, look at me! Look at me! It's okay, Sweetie. We can deal with him together. It'll be alright." The light above the table shattered, but Mal didn't jump. She just continued to look at Emma, "We knew this was coming after we got Rumple's letter. We'll deal with Killian and the rest of the gang. I'm with you and Audrey is with you. We can take them. Do you hear me?" Mal continued to gently stroke Emma's cheek and leaned over the kiss her forehead. Emma closed her eyes and swallowed deep trying to calm her nerves.

As Regina watched, her anger grew while watching Mal comfort and calm Emma.

"Em, take some slow deep breaths. We have the advantage here. He doesn't know that we have the same abilities."

Emma's voice cracked and her eyes watered, "But he still thinks Tristan is his. He'll come for her." Another light shattered and Regina tried to duck and avoid flying glass.

"There are three badass vamps in this house. No one is getting to Tris. We can put a protection spell on the house and we'll be safe during the day of course."

Emma nodded and the lights began to slow in their frequency of flickering. The soft rumble in the background stopped and soon the room was calm. Maleficent waved her arm and fixed the shattered lights. Then she turned back to Emma who was looking down at their feet so she held out her arms for Emma to fall into. Emma nuzzled her face into Mal's neck as the former dragon held her tight. Meanwhile, Regina's jealousy flared, but she continued to remain silent standing in place with her arms crossed and lips pursed.

"Gina!" Tristan had initially come downstairs with Audrey to see why the lights were flickering, but saw Regina through the doorway and bolted into the kitchen, slamming into Regina's legs and wrapping her arms around her. "You came!"

Regina's jealousy was forgotten when she looked down and saw her daughter hugging her. Smiling warmly, Regina sat the gift she was carrying onto the table so that she could pick up Tristan. Heaving her up, she gathered the little girl and hugged her tight, taking in her smell and warmth.

"Hello, Sweetheart. I've missed you so much."

Tristan giggled and smiled before leaning back to look at her new mother. "Is that present for me?", she pointed to the wrapped gift on the kitchen table.

Regina pretended not to see it, "What present? I don't see a present." She turned Tristan in the opposite direction, "Is it over here?", she leaned down to look into the sink. "Hmmmm. Not here. How about over here?" She skipped to the pantry and looked inside, "Nope. I don't see it. Where is it?", she held up one arm in puzzlement.

Tristan let out a belly laugh and shook her head, "No, Silly! It's over there! On the table."

Regina turned around with Tristan in her arms and look at the present, "Ohhhhhh! There it is." She walked over to the gift and whispered in Tristan's ear, "I think it might be a princess dress and maybe something else."

Tristan wrestled out of her arms so Regina sat her down. Tristan grabbed the gift, but then went still and just stared at the gift expressionless. Her eyes began to glow bright red.

Audrey saw this and immediately acted, "Em!"

Emma turned and saw what was happening so she ran to her daughter and looked at Mal, "Mal!"

"On it." Maleficent ran to the fridge and grabbed Tristan's juice cup and rushed over handing it to Emma.

Emma pulled the gift out of Tristan's hands and handed it to Audrey who quickly took it to the sink and wiped it with bleach wipes. Emma then looked at her daughter, trying to snap her out of her trance, "Honey, I need you to drink your juice for me." When she got no response, she tipped the cup to Tristan's bottom lip, hoping the liquid would promote her to open her mouth. "Please drink it, Sweetie." Her voice tried to remain calm, but the adults could hear the worry.

Tristan finally opened her mouth when she felt the blood touch her lips and she quickly downed the entire cup. Her eyes then went back to their beautiful emerald hue and she snapped out of her trance. "Ew, yuck! What's that smell?"

The three vampires breathed out a sigh of relief while Regina stood back stunned, "What just happened?"

Audrey handed her the gift, "Apparently there was blood on the wrapping paper and Tristan smelled it. Bleach makes the smell repulsive, but we also had to quench her triggered thirst."

"Oh, God. I'm so sorry. I didn't realize my blood got on there from earlier."

Emma could see Regina beating herself up, "Hey, it's fine. We've dealt with this before. You didn't know." The two ladies continued to stare at each other until their daughter broke the silence.

"Can I open my present now?"

They both laughed and Emma kissed Tristan's head, "Go for it, Tris."

The young vampire tore through the wrapping paper, but was careful to preserve the pretty blue bow in the middle. When she finally opened the box, she gasped and pulled out the shiny, satin and silk green and black dress. It had flowers embroidered along the front and a long train that tapered from the shoulders down the back.

"It's like Elsa's! I'm a princess!" She then noticed a hand held mirror in the box and pulled it out, "What's this?"

Emma knew how Regina utilized mirrors so she had an idea of what Regina was thinking, but she was about to be surprised by a little something extra.

Smiling, Regina answered, "That's a mirror and we can use it to talk to each other."

Tristan's eyes scrunched together in thought, "You mean like Mommy's phone?"

"Yes! This is even better though because we can see each other while we talk!"

Tristan's eyes grew wide as she stared at the mirror in amazement.

Regina then added, "There's one more thing that we're going to use the mirror for though."

Emma looked up surprised and curious about what Regina had in mind. Regina just waved her off like her idea would be no big deal.

"We're going to use it to call Elsa!"

The little girl screamed in excitement while Emma grew white as a sheet. Mal looked at Emma knowing the issue, but kept silent.

"Mommy! Mommy! Did you hear that? I can talk to Elsa!" Tristan was jumping in place up and down, unable to keep still.

Emma put on her best fake smile, "Yeah, Honey, I heard. Wow!"

Regina caught on to the forced smile and wasn't sure what she had done wrong.

Tristan looked at Regina, "Can we call her now, Gina?"

_DING DONG_

The doorbell sounded and Emma and Maleficent tensed and looked at each other. Emma then turned to Audrey, "Why don't you take Regina and Tristan upstairs to call Elsa?"

Maleficent grabbed Emma's arm, "Is that such a good idea?"

Regina watched the interaction confused and turned to Audrey who just shrugged.

"It'll be fine. We can talk to David while they're upstairs.", Emma confirmed.

Audrey nodded and motioned for Regina to follow her and then grabbed Tristan's box and torn wrapping paper, "Let's go upstairs, Tris, so we can meet Elsa!"

The little girl didn't have to be told twice. She barreled out of the kitchen and up the stairs with Regina and Audrey close behind.

Emma and Mal walked over the front door and taking one more calming breath, Emma opened it.

David smiled at his daughter, but then saw who was standing next to her and grew serious, "You."

Emma rolled her eyes, "Don't start."

David cleared his throat, "Sorry. I'm here to ask you a few questions about what happened earlier with Robin. May I come in?"

Emma stepped aside and allowed David to enter. He stood in the entry way looking uncomfortable, but tried to lighten the mood, "Something smells good. I hope I didn't catch you while you were eating."

"We haven't eaten yet so it's fine." Emma shrugged. "Come on in. We can speak in the kitchen." She walked towards the kitchen assuming David would follow. Then Mal trailed behind grinning at David's discomfort.

The three finally sat down at the table and David opened his pad of paper and clicked his pen, "Um, Emma, what is Mal doing here? I just need to speak with you."

"She stays.", was the only response Emma gave.

Nodding, David continued, "Alright." Looking up to Emma, "Can you tell me what happened today?"

Emma remained stoic, "I believe Regina already told you what happened."

"Well, yes. She told me her point of view, but I'd like to hear your side of things."

Emma nodded, "Well, I was passing by her house earlier and heard screams so I went in and found Robin assaulting her."

"And how did you enter the house? It was locked."

"I used my magic."

David sighed, "Em, come on. The door was ripped off of its hinges. It looked like a bomb went off. Magic usually just unlocks a door."

"I was in a hurry.", Emma answered defensively.

"The injuries Robin sustained were those of brute force. You don't have the strength to cause that kind of harm, Em." David glared at Maleficent.

Mal just grinned, "You think I did it?"

"Wouldn't surprise me. Regina would protect you, I'm sure."

Emma slammed her hand down onto the table and looked at Mal who nodded in response to her silent question. Emma knew the people needed to know about the danger in their town. She was just hoping she could put it off.

"Fine. I didn't use magic. I used my speed and strength to get into the house. I knew Regina was injured when I felt dizzy and nauseous so I ran to her house from here and busted the door down after smelling her blood while running to her house.", Emma rattled off quickly.

David just stared in shock at his daughter. He didn't know where to begin. "I….how…"

Emma sighed, "I'm a vampire." She looked at David and her eyes grew bright red as her teeth slowly grew longer and sharp.

David backed away and stood from the table as he directed his rage at Maleficent, "You did this! What did you do to her?!" He began to advance towards Mal, but Emma used her speed to put herself between the two and placed her hand on his chest.

"This is not Mal's fault. I was attacked four years ago while I was pregnant. She saved me. Had she not turned me, I would've died and Tristan would not exist."

David was still breathing fast and heavy as he continued to glare Maleficent, but he nodded and slowly retreated to sit back down at the table. He waited for both ladies to be seated and watched as Emma's eyes and teeth returned to their normal state. "Tell me everything."

Emma explained how she was attacked, how Mal saved her and then how Tristan had been turned. She then told him how she turned Audrey when she was on her death bed and how her abilities differ from other vampires.

David patiently listened and took it all in, not writing any of it down. When Emma was finished, he sat in silence while he thought about everything. Then he finally spoke up, "I received a fax from the PD in Clayton Lake about a rogue vampire gang. I didn't believe it when I read it. I thought it was a prank." He then looked at Emma, "And the other night I found blood all over a smashed car a block from Regina's house." Emma looked at Mal and then back at her father, "Was that your doing?"

Emma nodded and explained the attack over the next few minutes. "And that's what happened. Somehow, they've found out about my loved ones. They're all in danger and I don't know what to do. I've wanted to warn everyone, but am worried what they'll say about us once they find out what we are." Maleficent put her hand on Emma's shoulder and rubbed comforting circles as David watched.

"I'm sorry, Emma, but we really do need to warn the town. Everyone needs to stay indoors at night until this gets resolved."

Maleficent spoke up, "We need to deal with Killian. He's the one who told Russell about you. I'm sure of it. Rumple was right in his investigation. Then there's that text on Robin's phone."

"You know about that?", David asked surprised.

"Regina told us. Killian still thinks Tristan is his so she's sure to be his main target."

"Yeah, about that, Em. Regina told me about being Tristan's other parent." David studied his daughter who turned away and blushed.

"Yeah, it was definitely a surprise. I'm glad it's her and not Killian though."

They continued their discussion and plan for warning the town until David realized he'd made them wait for dinner too long. "I guess I should be going. I'll send out an announcement for an emergency town hall meeting tomorrow at 3pm. If you don't want to come then I'll understand."

"We'll be there. It'll be bad, but I'm sure the people will have questions. Hopefully we can ease their concerns." Emma walked with him to the door.

David turned around before opening the door, "I know this is asking a lot, but is there a chance I can see Tristan?"

"How about I bring her to the diner tomorrow to see you for breakfast? Regina promised her a mirror call with her idol, Elsa, so I don't want to pull her away from that."

David's eyes grew, "Elsa? Is that wise?"

Maleficent chucked, "Exactly what I said, Charming."

Emma just huffed, "It's fine." She then opened the door, "I'll see you tomorrow, Dad."

After David left and Emma closed the door, she looked at Mal, "Well, let's go get them for dinner."

As they made their way upstairs and approached Tristan's room, they could hear the squeals of excitement and giddy chatting with Elsa and Regina. When Emma opened the bedroom door, she had a direct line of sight to the hand held mirror where Elsa's image resided. Elsa saw the door opening behind Tristan and gasped when she saw Emma walk through.

"Em!" She stared at Emma entranced.

Emma stood uncomfortably, "Uh, hey, Els."

Elsa nodded and swallowed hard, "I was just meeting your…daughter. She's lovely."

Regina watched the back and forth wondering why both women sounded robotic as a sinking feeling took her over. '_Oh God no._'

"How have you been, Em?", Elsa looked at her longingly.

"I'm good. Good. You?"

"Good. Good. I'm getting married in three days." Elsa held up her hand with the ring on it.

Emma's eyes widened, "That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you. You deserve your happy ending, Els."

Elsa nodded in agreement, "So do you, Em. Are you seeing anyone?"

Emma chuckled, "No. I'm finished dating. No desire to have my heart broken again. I've accepted that I'll be single for the rest of my life."

Regina's heart clinched at that. Her heart rate increased and a sickening feeling overtook her stomach.

"You don't have to be single, Em. I mean…I can easily…cancel the wedding." Elsa fiddled her fingers and looked down afraid of Emma's response.

Emma looked at Elsa apologetically. She knew this would happen when they spoke again, "I'm so sorry, Elsa. I can't ask you to do that. I've hardened my heart and that won't change. You know I love you so much, but I'm not in love with you. It wouldn't be fair to you, Els."

"That's okay! We would be great together! Tristan would love Arendelle. You're royalty so the marriage would be recognized and….."

Emma was growing more and more uncomfortable and had to stop Elsa's rambling, "Elsa, please stop.", Emma's voice cracked, "Don't make this harder than it already is." She walked over and ran her fingers through Tristan's hair, "I appreciate you speaking with my daughter. You're all she talks about." She smiled down at Tristan and then looked up at Elsa, "Perhaps Tristan and I can visit you and your husband in the future." Emma's eyes were growing wet. She truly did love Elsa. They had a wonderful relationship back in the day, but Emma knew her heart belonged to Regina and didn't want to hurt Elsa or waste her time. It was the hardest breakup she ever had. She could see a future with the ice queen, but she would always feel incomplete and didn't want to settle.

"That would be lovely, Emma." Elsa knew the conversation was over. "Please give your parents my love." She then turned back to Tristan, "It was so wonderful to meet you Tristan. You're a beautiful little princess."

Tristan just giggled and smiled proudly.

"What do you say, Tris?", Emma reminded her daughter.

"Thank you, Miss Elsa. Can we talk again?"

Elsa laughed through her tears, "Of course, Sweetheart. I would really like that." She then looked at Regina, "Take care, Regina. It was nice seeing you again." Regina smiled through her hurt and nodded back, "It was nice seeing you as well, Dear. Take care.", and then the mirror image was gone and Tristan just saw her reflection.

Regina stood up and brushed out the wrinkles from her pants, "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom.", and then she bolted from the room, bumping Emma's shoulder on her way out.

Emma watched her leave and then turned back to look down at the floor and pressed her eyes closed, "Dammit."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Regina had finished washing her hands and blowing her nose in the bathroom. She sat on the toilet lid for 10 minutes to think and process what she learned about Emma and Elsa. '_I have no right to be upset by this. But it still hurts_.' After gathering herself, she finally decided she was ready to join the group again, but when she opened the door, Mal was there to greet her with a sympathetic look.

"Regina, let's take a walk and chat." Maleficent wrapped one arm into Regina's and guided her downstairs and towards the living room.

"What about the others?", Regina asked concerned.

"They're getting Tristan ready for bed and the bath will take a while with that little girl. She loves to play, but hates having her hair washed.", Mal rolled her eyes and shook her head at the thought of Tristan making things difficult tonight.

The two ladies made their way downstairs and sat next to each other on the couch. Regina took in her surroundings as she hadn't been through Emma's house since she returned. She'd only seen the kitchen. In the corner of this room were several musical instruments sitting on stands next to a mahogany baby grand piano. Mal followed Regna's line of sight and commented, "The piano is new. I used a little magic so Tristan could have some fun and get some exposure to music."

Regina nodded, but she looked back at Mal, her eyes encouraging Mal to get on with what she has to say.

Nodding, Mal, began, "Obviously Emma and Elsa were together for a while. Not many knew about the relationship. David and Ruby were the only ones."

"Snow didn't know?"

Mal shook her head, "No. Emma wanted to keep it close to the vest. She loved you so much, but saw you with Robin all the time. It hurt her greatly so she told herself that she needed to move on. So, when Elsa expressed interest, Emma tried to make it work. She didn't want Snow to know because of her big mouth, but also because Snow isn't as open to same sex relationships."

Regina looked up shocked, "What? Why would you say that?"

Mal sighed, "When Emma knew Snow as Mary Margaret and they were merely roommates, Emma shared a story about her first time being with a girl while in her teens and in foster care. Snow had difficulty understanding how two girls could be interested in each other that way. She told Emma that she was relieved that Emma was over that phase

so Emma never mentioned her relationships again. David, on the other hand, wants Emma to be happy and told her as much when she dated Elsa. I think he knew Emma was trying to get over you because of things he would say to her while she was with Elsa. Same with Ruby. They both helped her realize that she was hurting Elsa because her heart wasn't truly in it so she broke it off."

Regina nodded and listened, but then perked up, "Did Henry know?"

"No. Emma didn't want to risk you feeling the same as Snow and being disappointed in her."

"I would never…"

Mal interrupted, "I know, but Snow's words really stuck with Emma and she figured most people from the Enchanted Forest probably thought like Snow and wouldn't understand their Savior and Princess being with a woman.

"Dammit, Snow." Regina closed her eyes and swallowed hard. "Poor, Emma. If only I had known."

"If you had known, you would still have stayed with Robin and we both know it."

Regina glared at Mal, but knew she was right and she hated herself for it. She looked down at her hands in her lap, "I was such a fool. I've had feelings for Emma for years, but kept thinking they were wrong. I must have been wrong because of that stupid fairy dust telling me it was Robin. My heart wanted Emma, but my mind kept yelling to follow what the damned dust said. I don't know how to make things right with her. I want to try. She deserves everything and I'll spend the rest of my life trying to prove my love for her."

Maleficent smiled brightly, "She loves you, Regina. More than anything. She's never gotten over you, but like she told Elsa, she has hardened her heart. I wouldn't be surprised if it was solid stone, if you were to remove it. The only time I see a crack in her armor is with Tris."

"I will break through it and I will make her happy, Mal.", Regina said in a determined voice.

"I have no doubt you will, Hon.", Maleficent pat Regina's hands in her lap.

Regina smiled and wiped tears away and she chuckled, "Not to change the subject, but why do you look so different?"

Mal laughed at that and they spent the next half hour discussing Mal's life after the Enchanted Forest.

* * *

"Ok, Sweetheart, time for bed.", Emma said as she pulled down the covers for Tristan.

"Sing me a song, Mommy?"

Emma stared at her daughter staring at her with puppy eyes. She had already read her a story and she knew Tristan was buying time because she was still wired from meeting Elsa. She didn't want to go to sleep.

"Tristan, it's bedtime. Say goodnight to Gam Gam."

"G'night, Gam Gam." She then turned back to her mother "Can I say night night to Gina and LiLi?"

Emma sighed and looked at Audrey, silently asking her to go get them so she could put her daughter down. Audrey nodded and went downstairs so Emma looked back at Tris, "After this, you have to go to sleep like a big girl, Deal?"

"Deal. But Mommy, can you please sing a song?"

Emma pursed her lips, but then smiled at her daughter. She could never say no to her. She began quietly singing "You are my sunshine" and watched as her daughter's eyes fought to stay awake. Regina and Mal joined shortly after and kissed the little girl on the cheeks, but Tristan was already asleep. Her mother's beautiful, soft voice was always so soothing to her.

All four ladies quietly left the little girl's room and padded downstairs and into the living room where Regina finally commented, "Emma, your voice is beautiful. I had no idea you could sing."

Emma blushed and looked down in embarrassment, "Um, thanks. It's nothing really."

"Nothing? Are you kidding me? You're incredible!"

Emma just kept getting redder, but then stiffened and looked up at Mal. Emma's eyes grew bright red and her heart rate sped up. "Did you smell that?"

Mal's eyes grew a brighter red as well and she nodded in confirmation.

Audrey then added, "It smells like it's coming from the direction of the hospital, doesn't it?"

The three nodded while Regina watched confused.

"What do you smell, Emma?", Regina asked not wanting to be left out of the loop.

"Blood. A vamp has attacked someone." Emma then turned to Audrey, "I hate to ask…"

Audrey just shook her head and smiled, "Don't be silly. I'll watch her, of course. Go. Check it out. You're stronger that I am anyway."

Emma nodded and looked back at Mal, "Let's go."

"Wait!" Regina spoke up. "Where are you going? Let me come with you."

Emma walked up to Regina and stepped into her personal space, "No. I can't risk something happening to you. This gang is dangerous. Their leader won't think twice before killing and I can't lose you. Please stay with Audrey and Tristan. Vampires can't enter a house without an invitation, but maybe you could add a protection spell to it."

"What about Henry and Roland? They're home alone!", Regina panicked.

Emma's eyes grew wide, but then she added, "Use magic to get home so you aren't outside. Make sure they stay indoors."

Regina stared at Emma's serious expression so Emma grabbed Regina's upper arm and gently squeezed and Regina blushed and nodded in agreement. Emma then backed away and looked at Mal and before Regina could blink, they were gone.

"Amazing.", Regina commented on their speed.

Audrey snorted, "Right? Between that and magic, I don't think I'll ever get used to this stuff."

Regina decided to put her focus on a protection spell for the house while Audrey double checked that Tristan was still asleep and not triggered by the attack. Once the spell was cast, she transported herself back to the mansion to check on the boys.

"Henry? Roland? Where are you?"

"In here, Mom!", Henry yelled from the kitchen.

Regina walked in and found the two boys eating cookies at the kitchen table with a guest.

"Look who came over, Mom!

Regina pursed her lips together, "What are you doing here?"

"And good evening to you too, Sis!", Zelena grinned and then took a bite out of her cookie.

"I had to call her, Mom. The front door was ripped off its hinges and I didn't want to bother you while you were at the hospital.", Henry tried to explain. He knew the relationship between the sisters was fragile and didn't want to see it fracture.

"Oh!" Regina looked back through the doorway to the repaired front door and then back to Zelena, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Zelena kept eating her cookie while Regina came in and sat down at the table.

Silence engulfed the table while Regina waited for the boys to finish their cookies. Finally, when Roland was done and Henry had helped clean him up, Regina smiled and spoke up, "Why don't you boys go get ready for bed? I'll be up shortly and we can chat."

Henry knew what that meant so he encouraged Roland to get up and follow him upstairs to let the sisters talk. When Zelena had heard the footsteps make it up the stairs, she finally grew more serious and looked at Regina, "Now tell me what's really going on."

* * *

Emma and Mal followed the smell and it took them to the hospital in the hallway in front of Robin's room.

"Oh God.", Emma rushed over the body lying on the floor with their back facing her. She knew right away who it was. "Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!"

Mal walked up slowly and put her hand on Emma's shoulder while Emma held the body close to her, "Emma, he's gone."

Emma rocked back and forth with the man in her arms and sobbed, "No. No. No. No. No."

"Who is he, Em?"

Emma looked down and kissed his forehead, "Graham."

"The huntsmen?"

Emma nodded silently, "We did everything together when I lived here. I confided more in him than I did with anyone else. He was literally my wingman when we went out." Emma saw the empty chair positioned in front of Robin's door, "He must have been guarding Robin's room for David. He wasn't a cop anymore, but still helped when needed."

"I'm so sorry, Emma." Mal squeezed her shoulder. "I know you're upset, but we need to go check on Robin. Mal then lifted her nose, "And I smell more blood to the north."

Emma gently lowered Graham's body and wiped her tears away with her forearm. When she put her arm down, a look of pure anger overtook Emma's features. She wanted revenge for Graham's death. She looked at Mal and nodded that she was ready.

Just as Emma was about to turn the door handle, a body tackled her in the hallway and began punching her in the face. Mal was about to run up to help her when a silver bullet zoomed by her face, slicing her cheek from its close velocity. Everyone froze in place and Emma moved her arms from in front of her face that she had used to defend herself. She wanted to look at her attacked before she finished them.

"Lily?", Emma stared up in disbelief.

"Em?", Lily looked down while still holding her custom silver long model AMT Hardballer in her hand and pointing it at Mal.

"Holy shit, Em! You're a vamp?"

"You're a Hunter, Lily?", they both asked their questions in unison.

Emma nodded, "We smelled blood and came to see what happened. There's a rogue gang here and we found my friend Graham dead. We were just about to check the patient's room because he was working with the gang and under guard."

Lily stood up and put her weapon of choice away as she held out a hand for Emma to take and help her up.

"Thanks." Emma brushed off her pants, "You still pack quite a punch, Lil", Emma chuckled. "I can't believe you became a hunter."

Lily shook her head, "And I can't believe you became a vamp. How the hell did that happen?"

Maleficent watched the scene unfold and studied Lily while they caught up. '_Her name is Lily. That has to be a coincidence, right?_' Mal took in Lily's features including her hair color, eye color, skin coloring, facial shape and stature. '_She has his face and her dark coloring resembles my mother's side. It can't be._'

As Lily spoke to Emma, Emma noticed Mal's expression while staring at Lily. She knew that longing look. She kept looking from Mal to Lily while listening to Lily. '_Does Mal think this is her Lily?_'

"…and that's when the association took me in and trained me.", Lily finished.

"Wow, Lil. What a small world.", Emma finally leaned in and hugged her old friend. They held each other tight like sisters and then Emma pulled back. "We definitely have much to discuss, but first we need to deal with this. She turned to Mal, "Lily, this is my friend, Mal. She's like me and we both came to investigate."

Lily shook the older woman's and felt a spark which made her look up and stare into Mal's eyes, "Have we met before?"

Mal held her tears at bay and forced a smile, "I don't believe so, Dear."

Lily just kept staring, convinced there was some sort of connection in the past, but finally she let it go and turned to Emma, "I'll help ya out. Let's go and you can fill me in while we search."

Emma nodded and slowly walked back to Robin's room door and opened it up. Emma gasped at the gruesome sight. Robin was hanging half off of the bed with his neck turned backward. His color was pale indicating he was drained of his blood. Lily walked over and looked for clues, but found nothing obvious. "I'll get fingerprints and then we can call the local authorities to get down here and do their thing."

"Graham was the local authorities." Emma choked out, "He and my Dad."

Maleficent then spoke up, "Emma, we still have to check out the blood smell from up north."

Lily quirked an eyebrow, "Blood smell? How far?"

Maleficent tried to remain cool, calm and collected, "From what I can tell, it's about 15 miles to the North."

Emma put her finger on her mouth in thought and began to pace, "That would put it in the forest.", she then quickly looked up, "Oh no. Isn't that near where the Merry Men are camped?

Mal just shrugged so Emma turned to Lily, "I hate to leave, but we need to check this out."

Lily grinned, "I'll meet you there. I may be slower, but I have my ways of finding you." She then winked at Emma and left.

* * *

"What the fuck? This is…a massacre!", Emma stood stunned as she stared at the dead Merry Men scattered around the forest floor.

Mal walked around inspecting the area and checking for signs of life, but finding none. "There's a cabin over there.", Mal pointed up ahead so Emma nodded and walked across the carnage to the cabin door.

After staring at Mal silently communicating with their eyes, Emma kicked the door in and both women charged in. "Nobody's here." Emma walked around and made her way to the room in the back. "Mal!"

Maleficent ran into the room to find coffins opened up. "They were here. Dammit." She checked for clues that may have been left behind in the coffins, "If they aren't here and have fed on those men, then they must have found a new hiding place."

Emma nodded, "They wanted us to find this. They had to have known we'd smell them." Emma stood in thought, "But why?"

Both ladies turned around when they heard the cabin door creak open.

"Em? You in here?"

Emma breathed a sigh of relief, "In here, Lil!"

Lily came walking into the room, "I see you found their sleeping quarters."

"Yeah, but they've obviously abandoned it."

Mal kept staring at Lily while she spoke to Emma, fascinated.

Lily could sense Mal's eyes and was getting annoyed so she turned and glared at the brunette, "What is your problem?"

Emma tried to diffuse the situation, "Whoa, Lil, chill. It's ok. You just remind her of someone."

"Well stop it. It's weird." Lily stomped out of the room to check out the bodies outside leaving Emma and Mal in the room.

Mal's eyes were pained when she looked at Emma, "It has to be her, Em. I don't know how, but it's her. I just know it. If I had my dragon, I would be able to tell right away."

Emma hugged her friend, "I know. We'll figure this out."

"I haven't had a chance to ask you how you know each other. We will definitely need to chat after things calm down."

"We will."

Soon a scuffle was heard outside followed by gunshots. The ladies ran outside to find Lily covered in blood and another pool of blood 15 feet away from her.

"What the fuck?", Emma asked.

"Two vamps attacked me when I came outside.", Lily replied nonchalantly while wiping blood off of her face and checking that her gun was clean.

Emma turned to Mal, "Do you smell anything?"

Lily spoke up, "No more vamps are in the area.", to which Emma turned to her with an eyebrow raised.

"And how would you know that? That reminds me, how did you find us? We didn't tell you where we were going."

Lily grinned cockily, "Because I can smell the blood and the vamps. When I'm near one, I get a gut feeling that I can't describe. It's almost like…."

"A predator sensing another predator that may treat it as prey.", Mal finished for her.

Lily looked over to Mal surprised, "Yeah. That's exactly it." Lily kept staring at Mal and the two continued to study one another. "Why do I get the feeling that you know me."

Maleficent swallowed hard and looked away, unsure of how to explain things to Lily. She was raised in a world without magic like Emma. Emma told her how difficult it was for her to believe where she came from and what Storybrooke was all about.

Emma knew what Mal was thinking so she spoke up. "Lil, why don't we go back to my place and we can explain everything. It'll give us a chance to catch up as well."

Lily nodded and continued to study Mal as they walked back towards Lily's car.

* * *

"Thank you for your hospitality, Love."

Blue glared at the pirate. "I didn't have much choice, did I?", her eyes traveled to the vampire across the room.

An older man with brown wavy hair which was graying at the temples, brown beady eyes and crooked teeth sat in a large ornate chair smiling wickedly at Blue.

"No, you did not.", he said.

"Just remember that one false move against me or my sisters, I will destroy you and end our little arrangement. You are merely a means to an end.", Blue reminded the old vampire.

"You're feisty. I like it.", his grinned showing his gold capped teeth.

Killian interrupted their chat, "Are you sure they won't smell us here?"

Blue glared back at him, "Of course, I'm sure. My magic is second to none."

"You sure about that? The Evil Queen is pretty powerful, Love."

Blue sniffed haughtily, "She's nothing and when I'm finished, she'll have nothing and Snow White will be able to breathe easily.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"You're joking, right?", Lily look unamused while staring at Emma and Mal at the kitchen table. The ice in the tumblers in front of them was slowly clinking as it melted. Emma's face stayed serious letting Lily know that she wasn't joking and then Lily turned to Mal.

"I'm supposed to believe that magic is real, we're all some fairy tale characters and that you", Lily looks at Mal, "are my mother who just happens to be the dragon witch from Sleeping Beauty?"

Mal's eyes tried to stay dry and her posture was ramrod straight. "I know this is a lot to take in, but you have to believe us.", Mal pleaded.

"You see, that's where you're wrong. I don't HAVE to believe anything." Lily stood up and grabbed her jacket preparing to walk out when Emma flew out of her chair and grabbed her arm.

"We're not done here. How can you not believe what we just told you, but you believe in vampires?", Emma scolded her old friend.

Lily walked into Emma's personal space and stood nose to nose with her, "I've seen vamps up close. You can't deny something you see."

Emma smirked and held out her hand next to Lily's face and within seconds, a blue flame formed in her palm. Lily stayed in place, but looked to her right to see the crackling blue flame in Emma's hand and her eyes grew wide. "Holy shit!"

Emma stepped back and walked to the doorway facing the living room and tossed the flame into the fireplace across the room to light it up. Lily slowly followed Emma and watched as the blonde then held up both hands and candles materialized all around the room, floating in mid-air. Lily walked around, touching the candles and quickly pulling her hand back when one of the flames licked her skin. "How did you do this? This is Harry Potter dining hall shit."

Emma just shrugged and rolled her eyes, "Magic." Emma the walked over to Lily and put her hands on Lily's shoulders, "Lil, you have a chance at something you and I always dreamed of. You've found your mother. Do you remember how we dreamed of doing just that?" Lily's eyes grew wet, yet she still kept the tears from falling. "Your mother is an amazing woman and she went through hell to find you. She's come such a long way. The least you can do is listen to her. Get to know her."

Lily stared at Emma, frowning, and willing the tears to stay put. She knew her friend wouldn't lie to her. Staying silent, Lily simply blinked and then nodded. They both turned around and walked back into the kitchen where Mal was standing up next to the table and holding her breath while staring at Lily.

Lily walked up to Mal, finally allowing her tears to fall as she stared at her mother. Mal didn't move for fear of scaring Lily so she stayed still. Lily waited another minute while studying Mal and then finally she smiled, tears falling down her cheeks and nodding her head in acceptance. Mal choked back a sob and nodded in return. She was unsure what to do with her hands, but Lily made the decision for them when she walked into Mal's arms and pulled her into a hug.

Emma smiled from the background and pulled out her cell phone to text Regina.

_Emma: Hey, it's me. I'm back and need to talk to you about what we found. Can I come over?_

Emma put her phone away and turned around to magic the candles away. "Hey, guys. I need to go to Regina's and update her on what happened."

Mal and Lily stayed in their hug and nodded in response. Emma smiled and felt her phone vibrate so she looked at the screen.

_Regina: That's fine. _

Emma used her super speed to leave and go to Regina's.

* * *

"Emma is on her way over." Regina had poured another glass of cider for herself and Zelena.

"Oh, perfect. I haven't seen the Savior is years." Zelena took her glass and sipped in giddiness.

Regina glared at her sister. "You will behave, Z. Emma is under a lot of pressure right now.

_DING DONG_

Zelena jumped at the sound, "That can't already be her, can it?"

Regina got up and began walking to the door, but Zelena grabbed her arm, "Wait! You can't answer that. What if it's a vampire? Or Robin?"

Regina just laughed, "It's Emma. She used her super speed to get here."

"Super speed?"

Regina nodded, "It's part of her vampire abilities. It can't be Robin because he was in bad shape earlier and vampires need an invite in order to enter your house."

Zelena nodded and watched her sister go to answer the door.

Regina closed her eyes, took a deep breath and opened the door smiling. "Emma.", but her smile faded when she saw Emma's face. "What's wrong? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine.", Emma responded "May I come in? There's a lot to discuss."

"Of course." Regina stepped aside, allowing Emma in and they both walked into the study.

Emma recognized the fiery redhead on the sofa, "Zelena!" Emma turned around to look at Regina in silent question.

"Henry called Z earlier to repair the front door you ripped off.", Regina grinned at the blonde who blushed in embarrassment.

"Yes, Savior. Quite the feat. You've been busy while you were gone.", Zelena playfully commented.

Regina placed a hand on Emma's lower back directing her further into the room, "Would you like a glass of cider?"

Emma smiled to herself remembering the night she had brought Henry home and Regina had offered her a drink in this very same room. "Sure. Thanks."

Regina handed Emma her drink and sat down in the love seat across from her sister. Emma sat next to Regina and took a large sip. Zelena could see how uncomfortable Emma was, "I should probably leave so that the two of you can speak."

Emma looked up quickly, "No. I think you should stay. You need to hear this since it pertains to you too." Zelena raised one eyebrow intrigued.

Emma ran her fingers through her unruly curls, unsure of how to begin. She knew from Henry that Zelena and Graham had become close. After taking a deep breath, she began, "As you know, Mal and I smelled blood in the direction of the hospital. When we got there…", Emma swallowed hard and closed her eyes, "we found Graham lying on the floor in front of Robin's room." Emma looked up at Zelena to gauge her reaction.

Zelena stared at Emma confused, processing what she was implying. "So, he was unconscious?"

Emma shook her head, tears filling her eyes. At the realization of what Emma was unable to say, Zelena paled and ran over to the nearby trashcan next to the desk to throw up. Regina ran over to her sister to hold back her hair and rub her back.

"It can't be true. I just saw him a little while ago! He was fine. I brought him something to eat while he guarded Robin's room.", Zelena tried to reason. Regina was at a loss as to how to help her sister. Emma remained seated, trying to figure out how to tell them the rest. She waited until both women had returned, this time with Regina sitting with her sister comforting her.

"I'm so sorry, Z. Henry told me how close the two of you had become.", Emma consoled.

Zelena nodded, "We were planning our three-year anniversary date. I think he was planning on proposing." Zelena broke down in Regina's arms.

Emma watched the sisters, but realized she needed to finish telling her story. "Um, there's more." Both women looked up at Emma and Regina nodded her head for Emma to continue, "We found Robin dead in his room."

"What?!", Regina yelled. "How can he be dead? He was stable when I left the hospital."

Emma nodded and continued, "He was murdered. I won't get into the details, but it was obvious there was foul play." Regina may not have been in love with Robin, but she cared for him. She began sobbing in Zelena's arms and the sisters comforted each other in their losses. '_She really did love him. This is exactly why we could never be together._'

Emma was uncomfortable now. It was difficult enough telling them about Robin and Graham, but they still didn't know about the Merry Men. She couldn't add more to their misery. They were overwhelmed enough. "I'm sorry for both your losses. I'll see myself out."

Regina looked up, "Wait. Is there more?"

Emma nodded, "Yes, but it can wait." Regina stayed seated with Zelena as Emma rose and began walking towards the front door. She turned at the last minute, "Don't let the boys outside at night."

No sooner than Emma warned her, did a brick shatter the bay window in the study. It was followed by a Molotov cocktail. When the bottle shattered in the study, a fire quickly spread across the floor and rose up the bookshelves. Zelena used her magic to thwart the flames and extinguish the rapidly spreading fire while Regina followed that up with magic to repair what was damaged.

Emma's eyes glowed red as she smelled the culprits so she exited the house and caught up to the group responsible. There were 3 vamps standing in the middle of the street; a young blonde girl around 18 years of age, a 20-something male with long, ratty, sandy blonde hair and another male who was built like a pro wrestler. Emma could sense their power levels. '_Hmm, this will be interesting_. _The two younger ones are fledglings, but the bigger dude could be a problem_.' "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Hey, Bill, check out this chick.", the younger man commented. "What some of this, sweetheart?", the man grabbed his crotch and slowly approached Emma.

'_So, he has no idea who I am_.', Emma thought.

"Careful, Chad. She's stronger than she looks.", the larger one commented.

'_Dammit. He knows. He's definitely an older one. This may be harder than I thought._'

Emma smiled at the younger vamp, Chad, and used her index finger to motion for him to come closer. When he was close enough, Emma grabbed his neck and twisted it off his body, causing his body to liquify into a puddle of blood. She then directed her attention to the young girl who was screaming in anger and charging her direction, fangs protruding and eyes glowing. Emma extended her nails till they were sharp talons and used them to slice the neck of the young vampire as she was just about to reach her. The younger blonde's speed was no match for Emma's.

Bill watched Emma in fascination. He could tell by her scent that she was still a youngling, but her abilities confused him. '_She shouldn't be able to do these things. I can see why Russell in so infatuated._'

"Looks like it's just you and me now, Girl.", Bill drawled out while chewing on his Skoal. He then spit onto the ground which made Emma turn up her nose.

"That stuff is bad for you, ya know. It could kill ya.", Emma smarted off as she circled around him.

Bill watched her while formulating a plan. '_Normally I could use my words to subdue a youngling, but Russell says that won't work with her. Couldn't hurt to try though_.' Bill smiled, "Stand down, Girl."

Emma knew what he was trying to do. She could feel it. With a cocky grin, Emma stopped circling and immediately charged the ripped vamp. She could hear a voice yelling at her from behind, "Emma!"

Emma turned around for a split second when she heard Regina's voice calling her name. It was enough time for the Bill to take advantage of her distraction and attack. He grabbed Emma's throat and threw her down onto the ground. When her body hit the pavement, she coughed up blood as the wind was knocked out of her. Bill threw Emma onto the ground over and over again. She tried to counter, but it was useless. Eventually, Emma summoned her magic to try and get out of Bill's grasp, but her emotions were too disrupted to focus on what was needed. Her concern for Regina trumped her concern for her own wellbeing.

Just before Emma lost consciousness, she saw a flash of bright green flame hit the bulky vampire setting him alight. His screams could be heard for blocks. As Emma's eyes closed, she could feel the warmth of blood splashing over her face.

* * *

"Will she be okay, Mom?"

"I hope so, Henry.", Regina stared at the unconscious blonde on her bed while she used her magic to heal the superficial injuries she could see. The bruising on Emma's neck made Regina sick to her stomach, but she stayed strong and stoic for Henry. After healing the neck, she knew the worst injuries would be on Emma's back. "We need to turn her over and check her back. That is where most of the impact came against the pavement."

Zelena used her magic to gently turn Emma over. Her gasp said it all. Emma's back was exposed from the shredded shirt she was wearing. The blood drenched fabric had balled up in spots allowing her raw, lacerated skin to show.

"Henry, can you go get me my cell phone? I think I left it in the study.", Regina asked. "We need to call Mal for help. She'll know what to do."

"Sure.", Henry ran out of the room and Regina turned to her sister.

"She needs to be alright, Z. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to her."

Zelena put her hand on Regina's shoulder, "She'll be fine. She's too stubborn to die." Both women worked on repairing Emma's injuries when Henry returned with the cell phone.

"Can you continue while I call Mal?", Regina asked her sister. Zelena nodded allowing Regina to step away and call her old frenemy.

Henry watched his aunt work on his birth mother and Zelena could tell he wanted to ask her something. "What's on your mind?", Zelena asked without taking her eyes off of her patient.

"I thought Ma could easily defend herself. How come this happened? It doesn't make sense when she has magic plus her other abilities."

Zelena let out a heavy sigh. "Your mother saw Emma about to attack the vampire and screamed. Emma got distracted worrying about your mother. I think she was worried that Regina was outside and in danger of getting attacked.", Zelena finished as she slowly withdrew her healing magic. She had done all she could for Emma's physical injuries.

"Yeah, but she could've fought back still."

Zelena looked at her nephew. "Magic is emotion. My guess is that your mother was caught off guard and couldn't calm down enough to focus on her magic. She had already taken too much abuse.

Henry nodded and looked down at the floor, "Oh."

Regina had been listening after ending her call with Mal. Guilt was slowly swelling inside of her. She swallowed hard and began to walk back into the room when she sensed Mal's magical signature. A cloud of purple magic materialized and when it dissipated, there was Mal standing with a strange brunette woman.

Lily looked around and saw her friend lying unconscious on the bed, "Em!" She ran over to Emma and placed her hand on Emma's cheek. Looking down Emma's body, she saw that Emma's back was exposed.

Mal walked up to Emma and placed her hand on Emma's back, closing her eyes and releasing her magic into Emma. After a few more minutes, Mal removed her hand and opened her eyes. "I see you've healed her wounds.", Mal commented while studying Emma.

Regina nodded, "We both did." As she watched Lily caressing Emma's face, Regina's jealousy flared and her fists balled up by her side. '_Who is this woman. How dare she? Is this another one of Emma's old flames?_"

Maleficent watched Regina's expression and knew what she was thinking so she tried to diffuse the tension. "This is my daughter, Lily."

Regina gasped and looked at her friend, "What? How?"

Mal just chuckled, "It's a long story and we have more important things to worry about." She turned back to proudly watch her daughter turn Emma over and remove the rest of her blood-soaked shirt, exposing Emma's bra-clad front. Lily carefully pulled a sheet up to protect Emma's privacy and kissed her forehead which caused Regina to finally lose her temper. A light on the nearby table lamp shattered which caused Lily to jump and look back. That's when she saw Regina's murderous glare.

Never one to back down from a threat, Lily straightened up and walked up to Regina, standing nose to nose with the Queen. "Is there a problem here?"

Maleficent and Henry looked at each other and nodded in silent communication, each trying to handle their respective loved ones.

"Mom, why don't we go downstairs and get everyone something to drink."

"Lily, can you help me to get Emma to drink so we can help her?", Mal asked..

Lily and Regina didn't answer their loved ones. They continued their staring contest. Regina didn't blink as she asked her next question, "What is your relationship to Emma? I don't appreciate a stranger coming in here and touching her in such a way. I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate it either.", the corners of Regina's lips slowly showed signs up curling up.

Recognizing the challenge, Lily grinned, "We were foster sisters growing up. And what makes you think you know what Emma would and would not want?"

Regina smirked, "I am her True Love."

Lily smiled wider, as if knowing she had the winning poker hand, "And I was her first."

Maleficent closed her eyes tight, knowing that would be the final nail in this coffin of a challenge. Regina and Emma's relationship was fragile enough and her daughter's 'never back down' attitude wasn't helping things. She grabbed Lily's arm and pulled her out of the room to speak with her and set her straight while Henry gently touched his speechless mother's arm.

"Mom? Let's go get some drinks and let Mal help Ma. Regina stayed silent and simply nodded, allowing her son to direct her out of the room and downstairs. Zelena had

been watching the exchange and fuming over Lily's presence.

"What was that?", Mal asked her daughter. "You can't do that. Regina loves Emma and as much as Emma fights it, she loves Regina."

Lily rolled her eyes, "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't appreciate her threatening me."

"And how was she threatening you?"

Lily shrugged, "Her eyes were threatening me. Emma is like a sister to me and I won't allow anyone come between us. I just found her!"

Mal cupped her daughter's cheek, smiling in pride at how protective she was of those she cared about. "I know, Sweetheart. Regina would never try to break your bond. She was just jealous. You need to cut her some slack." Lily sighed and nodded.

After returning back to the bedroom, Mal walked up to Emma's bed and held her wrist to her own mouth, fangs starting to grow. Just before biting her own wrist, she saw Zelena's green magic in the corner of her eye. Zelena had used magic to pin Lily up against the wall, her feet dangling two feet off of the floor.

"I don't appreciate you antagonizing my sister. That's my job." Zelena walked up to look up Lily as she struggled against her invisible binds. Her palm raised and a green flame formed in her left hand. Mal's eyes grew wide so she acted quickly, summoning her magic to counter Zelena's attack against her daughter, but then Lily began laughing and flexed her arms, breaking the magical hold. Her eyes began glowing a bright yellow as a growl slowly grew from her throat. Zelena stepped back in shock, watching Lily's body begin to change. Her nails grew into talons and smoke began blowing from her nostrils. Her pupils went from wide, round openings to tiny little slits.

'_Oh no. Her dragon is restless_.' Mal ran up to Lily, infusing a calming magic into her daughter's body. Lily's talons receded and her eyes slowly changed back into their normal hue.

"Calm down, Lily." Mal stroked Lily's arm and placed her palm on Lily's cheek. "Come help me with Emma. Zelena will leave you alone." Mal turned back, "Won't you, Zelena?" Zelena nodded silently with eyes still wide.

Mal took Lily's hand and walked back over to Emma, "Hold her head up so she won't choke as I get her to drink." Mal then bit into her wrist and held it to Emma's lips. When the blood touched Emma's lips, they began suckling the puncture wounds. Emma's eyes quickly opened and glowed a bright red. Zelena watched fascinated while Lily just turned up her nose, but kept hold of Emma.

When Emma was done, Mal pulled her wrist back and licked her own puncture wounds which healed instantly. Emma leaned back against the pillow and closed her eyes taking a couple of deep breaths. When she remembered what happened, she quickly opened her eyes and yelled "Regina! She's outside! We need to….", but then she stopped talking when she saw the object of her concern walk in and stand at the foot of the bed.

Handing the drinks in her hand to Henry, Regina quickly ran into Emma's arms and buried her face in the crook of Emma's neck, crying tears of joy. "Thank God you're alright!" She then just kept saying "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Emma just wrapped her arms around the brunette and rubbed soothing circles on Regina's back while the other hand held Regina's head.

"I'm alright. It's okay. I'm just so relieved you're unharmed. I couldn't live if…..", she choked back the rest of the sentence. They continued to hold each other as the others watched.

Mal finally spoke up, "Let's give these two some privacy. I can fix us something to eat downstairs." She motioned for the others to follow her and Henry and Zelena complied, but Lily stood and watched the couple as if studying their rumored bond.

Zelena rolled her eyes and stopped in the doorway. "Either you come with us or I turn you into a flying monkey." Lily whirled around stunned, understanding now who the red head really was. Zelena continued to grin and glared at Lily almost daring her to call her bluff. Lily swallowed hard and finally relented, leaving the True Loves alone and closing the bedroom door.

"Don't ever scare me like that again.", Regina begged. Emma closed her eyes, enjoying holding the woman in her arms. She leaned into Regina's thick hair, taking in the sweet smell of the woman's shampoo. Regina placed small kisses on Emma's neck near her pulse point, tasting the soft skin for the first time. Emma's moans gave her encouragement to continue with her ministrations.

Emma's hands began roaming up the sides of Regina's body, brushing up the sides of her breasts. Emma then began pulling Regina's shirt up, untucking it from her pants to allow her hands to slide under the shirt. The warm olive skin felt so good to the blonde. Regina then trailed kisses down Emma's collarbone while her hands cupped Emma's breasts from the outside of her shirt.

Emma was getting so turned on that he eyes began to glow and her teeth slowly extended. '_Oh no._' Pushing Regina off, Emma quickly got out of bed and ran into the ensuite bathroom, slamming the door. Regina could hear the scream of "Dammit" echo into the bedroom.

Regina sat stunned at the sudden 180, confused about what she had done wrong. Her concern for Emma growing as she heard her talking in the bathroom.

* * *

After slamming the door and slamming her fist on the counter screaming "Dammit", a voice startled Emma. "You fail to save my daughter and then you try to take advantage of her?"

Emma rolled her eyes, "Not now, Cora. So not in the mood for your shit."

"Cora, Dear, she's trying the best she can to protect Regina.", came an older man's voice.

Emma looked up in shock at the second visitor, "Who the hell are you?"

Cora rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue, "He's Regina's father, Idiot."

Emma looked at the older gentlemen, "You're Henry Mills? I'm so sorry, Sir."

Henry chuckled, "No worries, my child."

Emma had grown used to these intrusions after becoming a vampire. Visits from the dead weren't uncommon, but were still few and far between while living outside of Storybrooke. She would get visits from former foster siblings who had died or from former coworkers. When it happened the first few times, Emma felt like Whoopie Goldberg from the movie Ghost. Now it was old news and nothing seemed to surprise her much these days. '_It seems magic is going to cause me to receive more visitors. Just fucking great._'


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Everyone, please calm down.", David had his hands raised to the crowd in the town hall. He had just informed them of the vampires in town and the murders that had occurred the night before. Regina sat on the stage next to Snow and behind David watching the chaos, but she could only think of a certain blonde who disappeared from her bathroom the night before.

_Flashback_

_Regina sat on the bed listening to Emma talking in the bathroom. She couldn't quite make out what was being said, but it sounded like she was having a conversation. 'Is she on the phone?' Finally making a decision, Regina walked over to the bathroom door and knocked._

"_Emma? Is everything alright? Please open the door." _

_Regina noticed that the talking immediately stopped, but there was some rustling. Finally, Emma opened the door, but seemed anxious. "I'm sorry, Regina. That should never have happened." Emma ran her hands through her hair while Regina just stared at her feeling like she had been punched in the gut. _

"_Emma, please. I thought we were making progress. We can go slow if you'd like. I just want to be with you." Regina then reached out to grab Emma's hand, but the blonde moved back and looked up at Regina with watery eyes. _

"_You've just lost your soul mate. I won't take advantage of you while you're mourning. Besides, what I said before still stands. We will never be together except when you visit Tristan." Emma moved to leave the bathroom and walk past Regina, but the sorceress stopped her progress. _

"_I love you, Emma, and I know you love me too. I won't stop until you see how important you are to me and that we belong together." She then gently squeezed Emma's arm and smiled softly. "I made a lot of mistakes in the past in regards to us, but I'm going to right those wrongs."_

_Emma stared at her True Love for a few more seconds before smiling apologetically, "Regina, even IF things changed, we could never be together because it wouldn't be safe for you. I'm dangerous and you wouldn't be safe around me. That is why I had to stop things tonight." Emma then turned around and looked in the bathroom as if she was staring at someone and giving them a glare. Confused, Regina followed Emma's line of sight, but saw nothing. As Regina turned back to Emma, all that was left was residual white magic from Emma teleporting away._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

'_When I went downstairs to tell everyone that Emma left, Mal had said something about Emma getting visits from spirits. Who visited her? What set her off?_' Regina then looked around for the woman on her mind, but couldn't find her. In fact, no one from Emma's group had arrived. '_This isn't good. The crowd is already upset_.'

Regina stood up and walked up to stand next to David and try to calm the people. "Everyone, settle down!" When that didn't work, Regina summoned her magic to cause some thunder. That seemed to get everyone's attention and they all sat back down waiting for David to continue. "That's better.", Regina said smirking as she walked back to sit down.

David gave her a grateful smile and then turned back around to address the audience. "As I was saying, we know how you can keep safe while we continue our investigation and hunt these vampires down. They can't come out in sunlight so you're safe during the day. At night, they require an invitation in order to enter a home so as long as you don't answer your door and allow them inside, then you should be fine. We are instilling a curfew until we can catch them, therefore, everyone needs to be in their homes at sundown. Going outside puts you and your loved ones in danger of attack."

A door creaked open in the back of the auditorium and in walked Emma Swan. Everyone had turned around to see her entrance and standing with Maleficent no less. Granny was first to stand up and address David, "If you're trying to be honest with the citizens then you better warn them about your daughter and her 'friend'.", Granny snarled out. She then picked up her crossbow from her chair and held it by her side making sure everyone knew she was armed.

The people kept looking back and forth between Granny, David and Emma while Emma just swallowed hard and looked at Mal wondering what to do. She then turned back to look at Granny, "Um, what do you mean, Granny?" Emma scuffed the toe of her boot in place in a nervous pose.

Granny glared at Emma, "Tell everyone that you're one of those creatures, Girl. I smelled it the night you returned. You smell wrong and so does your friend. The fact that you're here proves that we aren't safe during the day like Charming said." Granny then lifted her crossbow and pointed it at Emma.

Ruby's eyes grew wide and stared at Mal and Emma who looked hurt. She then stood up and turned to her grandmother, "Granny, it's Emma. She would never hurt any of us."

"You can smell them, can't ya? They aren't right. Their kind drinks from our kind and can easily do us in."

The crowd grew more restless and looked to David for an explanation, but David was at a loss of what to say. Emma then walked through the crowd and the people stood back like the parting of the sea, allowing her to walk up to the podium on the stage and respond to Granny's accusations. Mal stayed in the back of the room near the exit just in case.

Emma tapped on the microphone to make sure it worked and then leaned in to speak, "Hey, everyone. Um….so Granny is right. I am a vampire." The volume rose in the room as people were unnerved. "Please, everyone, just hear me out." Emma had her hands held up in a placating manner.

David chimed in, "Please listen to her. She's still Emma!"

Snow stood up and walked up to David, holding his hand and swallowing hard. She hadn't taken the news well from David the night before, but was trying to remain calm in public. She chose to stay silent for fear of what she might say so she asked David to do the talking.

The people saw their monarchs united so they nodded and slowly sat back down to allow Emma to give an explanation. Regina stood beside Emma, one hand grabbed one of Emma's behind the podium and squeezed. Emma swallowed hard and squeezed Regina's hand back. While hidden to the public, Snow noticed it right away. Confusion marred her expression. Last she knew, Regina and Emma's friendship had been strained.

Rubbing the back of her head, Emma leaned into the mic again, "So, yeah, when I left Storybrooke, I was attacked a few months later by a rogue vampire. He nearly killed me, but Maleficent stopped him and ended up saving my life. My choices were to die or allow myself to be changed. I chose to be changed so that I could have my baby. I had been pregnant at the time and she was my main concern." Emma cleared her throat while gauging everyone's reaction as she continued to speak. "Mal saved my life and my daughter's. She had been turned a couple hundred years ago after being attacked so she understood. Anyway, apparently due to my magic, I'm able to do things normal vampires can't do like walk in the daylight. I'm also able to curb the bloodlust unlike most young vamps. I don't want to get into all the differences. I just want you to know that you're not in danger from me or from Mal. When she was injured, I allowed her to drink my blood which gave her my abilities. We aren't a threat to you. We're here to help you. Rumple knew of the threat to the town and has asked me to deal with it. He left it in one of his letters to me in his will."

The crowd mumbled as they spoke to each other, but Emma pressed on, "Vampires have a code. They're supposed to live symbiotically with humans. We have resources that allow us to feed without the need to attack. The problem is that there are gangs of vampires that disagree with this rule and think they're above all others. They believe humans to be no more than cattle; a food source. The government has known of this issue for decades and created a task force to deal with the rogues. They call themselves hunters. I'm currently working with them to help find the rogues in Storybrooke and remove them."

Ruby stared at Mal the entire time debating on what to do next. She walked up to the witch and grabbed her hands, giving them a gentle squeeze letting her know that they were going to be fine and could talk later. Mal just smiled gratefully and squeezed back.

Granny then asked, "How did they enter the town?"

Regina moved her hand to the small of Emma's back in comfort before speaking, "We believe Killian Jones let them in….", she looked at Emma who nodded and then turned back to the crowd, "and we have reason to believe Robin was working with Killian." That got everyone talking again and the volume rose in the room.

While the crowd talked to one another, Granny kept staring at Emma studying the blonde vampire. Emma didn't blink as she returned to the stare, daring Granny to attack. When she finally had enough of the stare down, Emma spoke into the mic, loud enough to get everyone's attention, "Make no mistake! Anyone who attacks my family and friends WILL be put down." She glared at Granny to let her know just who this announcement was for, "When this is all over, you can rest easy because my family and I will leave town tand go back to our home." Emma then turned around to storm off the stage, but Snow decided to quickly follow so she could speak to her daughter. Regina was left feeling empty and nauseous at the thought of Emma and Tristan leaving.

Meanwhile, off to the side, Blue silently took in the action. '_So, Emma will leave if the rogues are caught. That would get her away from Regina and cause the Evil Queen pain. It's not a permanent solution though._' Blue hated working with the vampires and was trying to figure out a way to kill two birds with one stone; in this case Regina and vampires. '_Snow wouldn't want her daughter with a woman, let alone the Evil Queen_.' Blue watched Emma as she charged off the stage with Snow quickly behind and then looked at Regina and Mal. '_Mal will be a problem if she has Emma's abilities. The other issue is the hunters that Emma mentioned. Who are they?_'

Blue was so busy studying the key players in the scene that she failed to notice she was being watched by a smart young man; Henry. He zeroed in on Blue's discomfort when David and Emma spoke and then noticed how she watched his mothers. '_She knows something._' Henry's eyes narrowed as he debated his next move. '_If she's here with the other fairies then the convent is empty_.' With his mind made up, he made a quick exit, his focus on the convent a few blocks away.

* * *

"Emma, wait up!"

Emma rolled her eyes and she sighed heavily after hearing Snow's voice. She continued to walk so that when Snow caught up, they'd be further away for whatever was about to be said. When she was finally outside, Emma stopped walking and whipped around to deal with her mother. Snow was stunned at the sudden stop and almost walked into her daughter.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I was trying to catch up to you."

Trying to remain calm, Emma spoke in a monotone, "What is it, Snow?"

Snow had tears in her eyes, "Emma, please. I want to talk. I know things have been strained between us, but I'd like to try and repair out relationship."

Emma stared at her mother and she knew Snow was sincere in her words, but there was the nagging bitterness of the past that prevented her walls from cracking. Being a mother herself, she could understand how Snow felt. Emma couldn't imagine having a fractured relationship with Tristan. She knew she may regret it, but she also knew she had to make an effort.

Finally giving in, Emma sighed, "What did you have in mind, Snow?" She made sure to address her mother by her name to let her know she was hesitant.

"Can we get together today? I'd love to talk. Perhaps you could bring Tristan? I'd love to get to know my granddaughter better. We didn't exactly get off to a good start.", Snow winced at the memory at the diner.

Nodding, Emma agreed and made a decision. "How about we meet at the old playground that Henry used to play at when he was younger? I can bring a picnic and Tristan will love it."

A smile spread across Snow's face and almost hopped in excitement. "That sounds perfect. Oh, thank you, Emma.", she reached out and hugged her daughter who remained stiff, but wrapped her arms around her mother.

David and Regina had walked up to the pair to speak with Emma, "Hey, Em. I need to ask you some questions about what you saw last night. Can you come down to the station?" David appeared nervous and hesitant while Regina stared at him offended that he was treating his daughter like a suspect.

Emma looked at her father surprised, but shrugged, "Um, yeah. Sure. Let me just call Audrey and let her know I'll be delayed getting home." David nodded and walked over to Snow to speak with her which left Regina standing alone next to Emma.

Before Regina could speak to Emma, her phone vibrated causing her to dig through her pockets. Looking at the screen, she could see it was a text from Henry.

_Henry: The guys want to meet for a snack at the diner. I'll see you at lunch. _

Regina rolled her eyes and looked Emma who watched concerned. "Our son has decided to change our plans this morning so he can meet the guys.", she huffed. Emma just smiled at Regina while she called Audrey.

"Hey, Aud. Yeah, it was interesting. I'll fill you in when I get home. I'm gonna be a little late. Have to answer some questions about last night. No, I can take her when I get home. In fact, Snow would like to spend some time with her at lunch so I can handle the errands at that time. Ok. Thank you so much. Love ya. Bye." Emma hung up as Regina watched and the Charmings listened. It hurt Snow to see her daughter so close to Audrey and it hurt Regina to know Audrey was so close to Tristan.

Swallowing hard, Regina approached Emma, "Hey, would you and Tristan like to have dinner with Henry and I tonight?" Emma stared at Regina for a few seconds unsure of how to respond. She knew Regina just wanted time with her new found daughter.

"Um. Sure. That sounds nice." Emma turned back to look at her parents who were waiting, "I need to get going though. I'll call you later." She waved to Regina and walked away with her parents.

* * *

"Took you long enough, Kid.", Lily smarted off as Henry ran up the front steps of the convent.

Panting with his hands on his knees, Henry snapped, "I had to run while you just drove here. Cut me some slack."

"You texted me to meet you here so I expected you to be waiting for me, not the other way around.", Lily rolled her eyes. "So, what's this about?"

"I think Blue knows where the vampires are. I also think she knows something about my Mom and Robin like we talked about last night after Ma left."

Lily looked up at the building, "And what do you expect me to do here? I have no desire to piss off some nuns."

Henry rolled his eyes which Lily noted looked just like Emma, but kept silent. "All the nuns are at the town meeting. This is our chance to look around!"

Lily stared at the teenager debating, but finally relenting. "Alright, Kid. Let's go. If your Em's son then you probably have her smarts. We'll go with your gut."

They walked up and tried the door, but of course it was locked so Lily pulled out her trusty lock-picking tools. Grinning, she motioned for Henry to get closer, "Watch and learn."

Henry watched fascinated as Lily slowly manipulated her picks and listened for the proper sounds. At the final 'click', the door opened and Lily wore a cocky smirk on her face. "Wow. Where did you learn to do that?"

Lily chuckled, "Your mother taught me."

Henry's eyes widened and then he smiled proudly.

They both wandered around looking for any clues. Lily found stairs leading to a basement while Henry made his way to Blue's office. As Lily made her way down the steps, she could sense the presence of vampires. Taking out her trusty hunter-issues gun, she tiptoed further down with the gun pointed ahead. At the base of the stairs, she found a what looked like a laboratory full of glassware and various potions. Trailing from the room were several closed doors. Removing the safety on her gun, she decided to check each door.

Henry rifled through Blue's office, opening drawers and going through papers. He discovered an opened book written in a language he had never seen. He chose to take pictures of the pages with his phone to show his mother later.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Henry whirled around with a guilty expression after Blue had just caught him red-handed opening another drawer. "Oh! I was looking for a spell that would help my mom become human again." He tried to think quick on his feet.

Blue knew he was lying, but couldn't figure out his purpose for being here. '_He's as annoying as his mother_.'

Henry tried to stand up and leave quickly, but as he moved towards the door, it slammed and locked in front of him.

"I'm afraid I can't let you leave, Henry."

* * *

Several hours later, Emma was sitting on a picnic blanket with her mother and daughter. Tristan had been very well behaved thus far and for that, Emma was grateful. "Hey, Tristan, would you like a chocolate chip cookie? I made them myself?" Snow was excited to be spending time with the little girl.

Tristan looked at her mother for permission and Emma winked and then gave her a nod. Turning to her new grandmother, she smiled wide, "Yes!" Snow handed her the fresh treat and Tristan immediately took a giant bite. That's when she let out a moan and spoke with her mouth full of chocolaty goodness, "Nummy…"

Emma scolded her, "Tristan….", she warned the little girl to which she closed her mouth and continued to chew quietly. They heard footsteps rushing towards them so Emma turned around to see Regina looking frantic and holding her cell phone, "Have you heard from Henry?"

Emma pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket and shook her head no.

"Gina!" Tristan flew up from her picnic blanket and dropped her cookie so that she could give her new mommy a hug. Snow was hurt because the girl hadn't shown any affection towards her during their lunch. "Are you going to have a cookie with me?" Regina picked up the bubbly child and kissed her cheek, "I'm so happy to see you, Sweetheart. I'm afraid I can't stay though. I'm looking for your brother." She then turned back to Emma while still holding her daughter.

"Something's wrong, Emma. He never came home and he isn't answering his phone. When I tried to track his phone, it didn't show up anywhere in Storybrooke.", Regina's voice cracked. "I called his friends, but haven't seen him today. They said they didn't have anything planned this morning."

Emma quickly looked at Snow who was still sitting with Tristan, but listening and growing concerned. When she turned back to Regina, she saw that Regina had put Tristan down and was now digging around in her purse looking for something. That's when she pulled out Robin's cell phone and held it up.

"When I couldn't reach Henry, I thought maybe I could find something on Robin's phone that would help us. I found these text messages.", she handed the phone to Emma.

Emma scrolled through them and read some, only to look back up in shock, "Blue? What the fuck?!" Emma's magic began crackling on the surface of her skin, "How many people are in on this shit show?" Her eyes began glowing a bright red as her magic grew in intensity.

Before Regina was done blinking, a blur of purple and blonde flashed in front of her. '_Mal_'. Snow quickly stood up in front of Tristan, scowling at the new arrival.

Maleficent had used her vampire speed to come to Emma. She quickly put her hands on Emma's shoulders and looked into Emma's eyes.

"Hey. Look at me, Em. Calm down. I could smell your blood lust miles away. What's wrong?"

Regina spoke from behind Mal since Emma was too worked up, "Henry is missing and we think Blue has been working with Robin."

Maleficent's eyes grew red as she turned around to face Regina, "That blue gnat is in on this? The same blue bug that destroyed me and my family?" Regina slowly stepped back, fear rising in her chest and she simply nodded, not breaking her stare with Mal.

Mal wordlessly picked up her cell phone and called Lily, but it went straight to voice mail. She looked down at her phone and tried again, but it yielded the same result. Emma knew based on Mal's expression that she was worried about Lily as well.

"If Blue is in on this then nobody is safe during the day. We now have to worry about her during the day and the vampires at night. I need to get Tristan home and put up a protection spell. She could be the next target."

Regina stepped up, "Let Mal and I deal with Blue. You go take care of our daughter and make sure everything is alright over there. Give Audrey the heads up." Regina then stepped closer to Emma and whispered her next question, "Henry said you still hadn't read all of what Rumple left you. You may want to do that just in case there are more clues. Based on what you said, he knew quite a bit before his passing."

Emma nodded while Snow stood behind them absorbing what she had just heard. '_Our daughter?_' "Emma, what did Regina mean when she said 'our daughter'?"

Regina stiffened as she realized her mistake and she stared at Emma whose eyes were wide in panic. Regina tried to retract her previous statement, "I'm sorry, Snow, I misspoke. I'm so worried about Henry and looking at Tristan here looking so adorable must have caused me to say it. I can only wish I had a daughter so beautiful."

Tristan was confused by what Regina had just said and tears began filling her beautiful green eyes. Emma noticed and quickly grabbed her daughter, "Hey, it's okay." Emma knew why the little girl was upset and had to do something quick. She turned to her mother, "I'm sorry, Snow, I need to get her home and figure out how to find Henry and Lily. We'll do this again if you'd like and I can make it up to you." The Emma used her magic to quickly teleport home, leaving a white cloud behind.

Snow's mouth stayed wide open and then she turned to Regina for further explanation. Regina simply shrugged and then took Mal's hand, "Let's go." Just as Snow was about to ask them a question, they disappeared in purple magic, but not before Mal stared at her with a large grin on her face.

* * *

"Audrey? Are you home?", Emma hollered after arriving in the country home. She then sat Tristan down on the couch and calm her down, "Hey, Honey, please don't cry. Gina was just telling Grandma a little white lie so Grandma wouldn't get upset. Gina loves you and she loves that she's also your Mommy." Tristan sniffed and choked as she tried to calm down, but was still upset so Emma tried a different tactic. "How about we get some ice cream? I think we still have cherries and whipped cream….", she left the statement in the air and then bumped Tristan's should to get her to smile.

She wiped her eyes and Tristan smiled back at Emma, "Nummies." Emma nodded and agreed, "Nummies." They hustled to the kitchen and Audrey walked in shortly after.

"What's up, Em?"

Emma updated her on what happened at the town meeting and then after. She then kneeled down next to Tristan as she ate her bowl of ice cream, "Honey, Mommy needs to go upstairs and look for something. Can you keep Audrey company for me?" Tristan nodded and kept spooning the dessert. Emma stood, nodded to Audrey and then left to take care of a protection spell.

* * *

In her bedroom, Emma held up her hands and began mumbling an incantation.

"That's not enough, Savior. It'll take a much stronger spell to keep that blue gnat out."

Emma closed her eyes and dropped her hands in annoyance, "Oh goodie. You're back." She then turned and glared at Cora.

Cora pursed her lips, "You need a stronger spell if you're going to protect my granddaughter."

Rolling her eyes, Emma raised her hands again, "Well I don't know another spell." She then began her spell again.

"I can teach it to you.", Cora added.

Dropping her hands again, realizing she wasn't going to get this done with Cora here, she turned to the feisty spirit, "I have no desire to learn dark magic."

"Stupid girl, it isn't dark magic unless you add ill intent to it. You're trying to protect someone so it won't be dark."

Emma stared at Cora debating. Her lie detector wasn't pinging, but she was still hesitant. Then she heard another voice, "Listen to her, my child. She means you no harm." Emma noticed Henry Sr. had made another appearance. "Her intentions are pure. She only wants your family safe."

"Listen to her, Em"

Emma whipped around in shock at the newest voice. "Graham?" She swallowed and a silent sob escaped her throat. "Oh my God. I'm so sorry, Graham."

Graham smiled softly, "It's alright, Em. This isn't your fault. It's their fault." Emma just kept sobbing and shaking her head so Graham continued, "Em, I mean it. It's okay. I don't know how long I have before I have to leave or until I can visit you again so please listen. When one of them was feeding on me, I heard Killian mention Blue and convent. Something about the Dark One's vault and controlling you for breeding and feeding."

Emma looked up stunned. "What the fuck?" Emma began pacing and running her hands through her hair.

Henry Sr. then spoke up, "Let Cora help you and then read the rest of the letters."

She looked at Henry and couldn't help smiling at his sweet and sincere face. He seemed to have such a good heart. '_No wonder Regina loves him so_.' Emma simply nodded and then looked to Cora for the explanation. Following Cora's instructions, Emma raised her hands and repeated the incantation. She used her magic to make a cut into her skin to use her blood to strengthen the barrier. Cora had her add the names of people allowed to pass the barrier at the end of the spell. Anyone else would be burned and suffer horrific injuries that would be unable to heal. Emma knew this, but was determined to protect her loved ones.

When she finished, she turned to see Cora looking at her proud. She then tried to school her features and popped off, "Well, I suppose you won't be as useless to my daughter as I thought." She then disappeared leaving Henry Sr. and Graham.

Henry chuckled and then told Emma, "She likes you. That was her way of complimenting you which she never does." He then disappeared leaving only Graham.

"Read the letters, Emma." Emma nodded and then he continued, "Tell Zelena that I know what her surprise was going to be on our anniversary and tell her I love her I'm so happy. I'll always be with them." He then disappeared.

Emma gulped and then realized what he said at the end, '_them_'. "Oh my God. Fuck!" She punched a hole in the dry wall in her bedroom before walking over the book and letters that Rumple had left. She took a deep, calming breath and picked up the pile, taking it to her bed and spreading everything out as she got comfortable.

"Here goes nothin."


	17. Chapter 17

"My moms will come for me." Henry sat calmly in the chair he was tied to while watching Blue collect ingredients for a spell. She kept referring to the open book he found earlier and looking through cabinets for the various vials.

Henry would occasionally look out into the hallway where the office door remained open, wondering if he'd see Lily. Blue followed his eyes and then smirked, "If you're looking for your friend, she's currently indisposed."

Henry sat up straighter and glared at the fairy, "What did you do to her?!"

Blue continued with her work and without making eye contact, answered his question, "I haven't hurt her if that's what you're worried about. I simply restrained her in the basement so that she can reunite with some friends when they wake up shortly."

Henry knew what that meant and began trying to think of a way to escape his binds. He searched the room for anything that he could use to cut the ropes should Blue leave him alone but he saw nothing.

Once Blue was done collecting her materials, she combined them in a pot and used her magic to heat it up. Henry saw blue smoke rise from the concoction and then it changed into a floating black tar. It remained suspended in the air for a few more seconds before migrating towards an open vial in Blue's hand. '_That's disgusting_.'

"This ought to do the trick", Blue then used her magic and teleported out of the room leaving Henry alone. He quickly began scooting his chair towards her desk looking for something sharp.

* * *

Lily was fighting her restraints to the point of causing her wrists to bleed. '_Stupid magic_.' She was surrounded by coffins containing sleeping vampires. A shuffling sound was heard from one of the coffins and soon the lid began to raise. Lily's eyes grew wider when she saw the vampire that arose; "Russell."

Russell turned around to see his 'gift' all tied up neatly for him and a grin spread across his face. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" The other coffins began opening, but Russell only had eyes for Lily. He reached up and stroked Lily's cheek, but she turned away and huffed. "Oh, don't be like that. How long has it been?"

"Not long enough." Lily still refused to make eye contact. '_Fuck he smells nasty._'

The other vampires in the room noticed the smell of blood coming from Lily's hands and their eyes began to glow. They all licked their lips showing their prominent fangs. Lily's heartrate was off the charts, but she tried to regulate her breathing. Her pupils began to dilate and her color became pale as she was going into fight or fight. Then a low growl was heard coming from her gut. Russell watched as a green smoke began rising from Lily's skin. When he looked down, he saw her hands changing shape and growing in size which caused her ropes to easily snap apart. Russell jumped back, but was unable to look away. When Lily finally turned back to face him, her eyes glowed a bright yellow and her pupils had changed to black slits.

Russell gulped and turned to his gang, "What are you waiting for? Get her!"

While the majority of the vampires rushed towards Lily, Killian stayed back because he knew what was happening to Lily and wanted no part of it. '_I thought all the dragons had been killed. Guess not._'

Just as the vampires reached Lily, she raised one arm and swung it across her body which created a magical tidal wave that threw all of them back across the room and slammed them into the far wall. Russell turned to Killian, "Your turn."

Killian held up his hand, "Sorry, mate. I'm not taking on a dragon."

Russell's eyes bulged, "Dragon?" Then he turned back to Lily. "Fuck." He looked back at his crew which were down for the count so he walked over to Killian, "We're leaving."

Confused, Killian raised an eyebrow with a silent question. Russell smiled wide, "You're going to take me to the Dark One's vault."

Killian watched Lily slowly lose control and then turned back to the other vamps, "What about them?"

"Leave 'em. We need to find that dagger." He grabbed Killian's arm, "Take me there, now."

Killian just nodded and they both used their speed to exit the building which left Lily alone and slowly losing herself to her previously dormant Dragon.

* * *

Regina and Mal had burst into the convent with Regina using her magic to blow the front door off of its hinges. "HENRY!" "LILY!" Both women called out.

"Mom!"

Regina perked up and began running through the halls, "HENRY!"

"IN HERE, MOM! BLUE'S OFFICE!"

Regina ran in and found her son tied up so she immediately ran over to him and cupped his face with her hands as she cried happy tears. "Are you alright, Dear?", she asked while untying his restraints.

"I'm fine, but Lily is in the basement with vampires! We need to help her!"

Maleficent heard this and ran out the room looking for the basement stairs. When the ground began to rumble, she heard a loud growl coming from behind a door down the hall. She ran over and opened just in time to see a group of vamps run out screaming. She let them pass and continued to run down the steps towards the noises. When she reached the bottom, she found a large dragon slowly growing in size. The head had just broken through the ceiling. The beast spread its wings and when they flapped, sharp wisps of air sliced through the walls around the room leaving slash marks.

"LILY!"

The dragon ignored Maleficent and continued to grow in size easily breaking through the basement ceiling and almost breaking through the first-floor ceiling. She spread her wings and flew through the second floor, bursting out of the building and taking flight.

"SHIT!" Mal used her speed to run upstairs and find Regina, but what she saw scared her to death. She found Regina, Henry and vampires buried in debris and not moving.

"REGINA! HENRY!" She ran over and began removing wood and fiber glass from them when all of the sudden, a silver bullet pierced her body. She looked down and grabbed her abdomen watching blood spill out. Maleficent then collapsed with a through and through hole in her stomach.

Regina and Henry had begun to move around thanks to Mal's voice. Regina sat up first and saw her old friend collapsed and screamed. "MAL!" She crawled over and grabbed Mal, pulling her into her lap. "OH NO! NO! NO! NO!" Regina lifted her hand and saw the blood which was hemorrhaging from Mal's body. Regina felt Mal for a pulse, but couldn't find one. Tears continued to run down her cheeks as her son came behind her placed his hand on his mother's shoulder.

Regina continued to rock back and forth with her friend in her lap and hugging her tight. She knew Mal wasn't breathing and being a vampire, there was nothing she could do to resuscitate her.

Henry looked around when he heard rubble being moved. That's when he saw the gang of vamps regaining consciousness. "Um, Mom?"

Regina ignored her son and looked down at Mal's pale form. She squeezed her eyes closed allowing her tears to flow more freely and then leaned over the kissed Mal's forehead. A flash of white light spread around the room knocking the vampires back.

_GASP_

Maleficent took a gasping breath and regained consciousness. She tried to sit up in Regina's lap, but the wound and pain prevented it. She looked up at Regina, "What happened?"

Regina gaped at her friend, "I don't understand. You were dead." She noticed that Mal now looked like her old self; blonde hair, blue eyes and pale skin. She looked up at her son who was also stunned silent. Looking back at Mal, she tried to explain, "You were shot and collapsed. You weren't breathing and..."

_SMASH_

The sound of glass shattering caused the trio to whirl around and see a broken vial on the floor and a black ooze moving from it. The tar-like substance grew in size and began to spread around the room. It paused as if thinking and then split into several partitions, charging towards each body in the room. Soon enough, each vampire along with Regina, Mal and Henry were covered in the black goo and struggling to free themselves.

Blue stood outside the room watching her trap ensnare its victims. '_This potion was created to separate the vampire from the human, but I wonder what it'll do to the Evil Queen. Pity Henry got caught in it, but his sacrifice will be for the greater good_.' She smirked at her handy work and then waited for it to finish.

_BOOM_

The building shook because of the angry dragon outside. While Lily had lost control, her ire was still directed at the convent. She kept shooting fire at the building and using her wings to fire air knives at the structure.

Blue looked up to see the dragon flying around and studied it confused, '_That's the girl that was with Henry?_' When the dragon's identity finally came to her, Blue paled and swallowed hard. '_Impossible._'

The screams in the room brought Blue's attention back to her office. All bodies were covered with the black substance which began glowing a bright blue color. After a few more minutes, a loud explosion occurred causing blue powder to spread around the room. When the dust settled, all parties stood there looking at their hands and each other.

Blue then noticed there was an extra body in the room and studied the person's back. Henry and Mal noticed the new body and stepped back in shock and confusion. Meanwhile, the vampires in the room stared at each other and then squeezed their fists as if testing something, but nothing happened. They looked around and noticed Blue in the doorway, "What the fuck did you do to us?"

Blue's smile grew when she answered their question, "I simply removed your vampire. You're now simple humans."

"YOU BITCH!" One of them began running towards Blue, but she merely raised her hand and turned him into a toad.

"Anyone else?"

The rest of them stayed still and stared at her. She then redirected her attention to the four people across the room.

"What the hell am I wearing?"

Henry stared at the new woman and then looked to his mother, "Um, Mom?"

Both women turned to Henry and both responded, "Yes?"

Henry stared at the women who glared at each other, then one of them waved her hands and changed her clothing to a flowing black gown covered with jewels and a high scooped neck; her plunging neckline decorated with elaborate diamonds. Her hair was long and pulled into an updo while her makeup was dark and smoky.

"That's much better." She smirked as she stared at her other self.

Regina's jaw hung open as she gaped at her evil half in the flesh. Mal noticed a feeling in her body that she hadn't felt in centuries. Perplexed, she stood there with her eyes closed trying to assess her magic. It then occurred to her what happened and she smiled.

_BOOM_

Everyone looked up to see Lily still flying and roaring as she swooped down and hit another part of the structure with her massive body. Mal's eyes glowed a bright yellow and then she began transforming. It felt so good to have her dragon back, but she still didn't understand how it happened. Once fully transformed, she took flight to go calm Lily down and communicate with her.

Henry looked up momentarily, but then quickly looked back down at his mother…well…mothers. "This is so weird."

Regina looked past her other self and glared at Blue, "What the hell did you do?!" Blue waved her hands and disappeared in blue fairy dust.

The Evil Queen stared at her other self, "Look at what you've become. So weak. We could have been happy, but you just had to ruin it. We could have had Emma and our daughter!"

"You're pinning this on me?"

"Well, there's no one else here in there, Dear?", she sarcastically replied.

Henry could see how this was going to end so he stepped in, "Moms. Please calm down. We need to figure out how this happened and how to fix it."

The Evil Queen laughed, "Fix it? Why would I want to do that? I'm going to obtain what you never could, Dear." She then raised her hands and disappeared in a cloud of purple magic.

Regina ran over and hugged Henry, "Are you alright?" She scanned him over, checking for any changes after what happened, but couldn't find any physical differences. "How do you feel? Any different?"

Henry just shook his head, "I feel fine. I don't think it did anything to me."

Regina looked up to see the dragons flying in a circle and emitting low growls towards each other. Finally, they flew away. Regina stared at the empty skies trying to process the evening's events when Henry approached her, "Um, Mom? I think something's wrong."

Regina whirled around and looked at her son whose eyes were glowing bright red. Henry stared down at Regina's injured hand which was bleeding from the rubble and he began growing fangs. Regina stared mortified, "Oh no."

* * *

Emma was sitting in bed going through all of Rumple's letters. She noticed one with a dagger symbol on the front of the envelope so she opened that one first.

_Dearest Emma, _

_You are the only one I can trust with this responsibility as you have the most powerful light magic. When Belle used True Love's kiss to remove the Dark One from me, it became trapped in the dagger as you know. The spell used to trap it in the dagger is not full proof. All my magical items pass to you upon my death by magical rights. When I pass, the security of my vault will automatically pass to you which means if the security is breached, you will feel it and know there is danger. _

_There are two spells in this book you need to refer to. First, turn to page 468. Using your blood, enact the spell. This will protect the dagger and keep it in a safe place. _

Emma turned to the page and saw a picture of the Dark One dagger without a name on it. She noticed the words above it and wondered where her blood should go. After studying the spell, she made a decision. Emma held up her index finger and allowed the nail to grow into a sharp point to slice the palm of her hand. She allowed the drops of blood to fall onto the picture of the dagger and then recited the spell. Gray magic rose from the page and the picture of the dagger began to disappear. After the magic was floating in the air, it shot into Emma's right forearm, searing itself into her skin on the underneath side. "FUCK!" She could hear her skin burning and watched as smoke rose from where the magic was spreading. "AHHHHHH! FUCKING HELL!" She noticed an image beginning to form on her skin as the pain continued to move along the lines of the image. "SON OF A WHORE!" Finally, the spell was competed and the pain stopped. What was left caused Emma's anger to rise. She now had a tattoo of the dagger on the inside of her right forearm. "WHAT THE FUCK, RUMPLE?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS SHIT?!" She lunged towards to the letter to read the rest of it, hoping he had a damn good explanation for this.

_I must warn you, Emma. The spell to protect the dagger involves embedding it into your body. You will not become a dark one, merely a container for the dagger. It will probably appear as a tattoo, but that can easily be concealed with a spell. _

Emma rolled her eyes and huffed, "Shit. Guess I should have read more first. Fuck." Her bedroom door then burst open and Audrey rushed in with Tristan. They had heard Emma's screams and became concerned.

"What happened, Em? Are you okay?", Audrey studied her friend and her eyes were drawn to Emma's arm. She walked slowly towards Emma, her eyes staring at the new tattoo. "What the hell is that?"

Emma turned her arm over so that Audrey could better see her arm and Audrey gasped as she ran her hands over the dagger. Tristan ran up to the bed and climbed in, "I wanna see." The little girl studied her mother's arm and ran her hands over the skin checking if it felt different. "What is this, Mommy?"

"Rumple gave me a spell to protect the dagger. I performed it without reading the rest of his letter that warned me and this happened. So apparently the dagger is in me now.", Emma sighed.

Audrey looked up at Emma concerned, "Are there adverse effects to this?" She carefully worded her question in front of Tristan.

Emma shook her head, "I won't become a Dark One so we're safe." Emma looked at her arm again, "But it hurt like a bitch.", she grumbled.

"Have you finished reading the letters yet?" Audrey noticed the papers strewn all over the bed.

"I'm still on the first one and haven't even finished it yet."

"Can I cuddle with you, Mommy?", Tristan crawled into Emma's lap.

Emma wrapped her arms around her daughter, "You bet, Sweetie." She looked up at Audrey and gave her a nod to let her know it was alright. Audrey then nodded back and left the room to get some house work done.

"How about your play with my cell phone while Mommy reads this letter?" Tristan nodded and took Emma's iPhone as Emma sat her down next to herself. She had learning games loaded on her phone for times she needed Tristan to sit still. Emma then continued reading the first letter.

_The second spell can be found on page 299. There you will find a spell which will allow you to gain all of my knowledge which includes the content of the other letters. You must use your blood on the page so that it recognizes you as the caster. If others try to use the spell, it will not end well for them. Please keep the book safe and out of reach of others to avoid this. _

_If you decide not to utilize this spell, then please read the remaining letters as they contain important information. I apologize that this is falling on you, but I cannot trust anyone else with these tasks. Once you've acquired the knowledge in the other letters, I trust that you'll make the right decisions regarding the family. If you have questions, please see Belle. _

_Good luck, Emma and thank you from the bottom of my heart. _

Emma rolled her eyes and huffed, "Really, Rumple?" Emma ran her fingers through her hair and then opened the book to the appropriate page. She saw the words written in Rumple's handwriting and a circle at the bottom of the page. '_That must be where my blood goes. Kind of like a key._' Using her already sliced hand, she reopened the wound and allowed the drops of blood to fall within the circle and then recited the words on the page. Soon, a gray smoke rose from the page and moved towards Emma. She stayed perfectly still as the magic travelled towards her forehead. She closed her eyes allowing the grey smoke to touch her forehead. When the connection was made, a bright, blinding light spread around the room and within seconds, the room was silent and back to normal. When opened her eyes, her eyes glowed white. The words on the page were gone and the page was left blank. Images raced through Emma's mind like a film reel. It was like watching a movie on fast forward. When it was over, Emma was left flabbergasted.

"What was that, Mommy! That was bright!" Tristan was rubbing her eyes and finally squinted them open towards her mother.

"It was a spell to help Mommy. Nothing to worry ab….."

_BOOM!_

They both looked around after the loud noise and Emma grabbed her daughter and stood up from bed. "What the hell was that?"

"That was the barrier spell."

Emma turned to the voice, "Cora." Emma walked up to her with Tristan still in her arms, "What do you mean the barrier spell?"

"Someone tried to breach your protection spell.", Cora shrugged in a 'duh' kind of expression.

Emma's eyebrows rose, "What?"

"Calm down. Right about now, they'll be nursing some pretty nasty injuries and they won't be able to fix them.", Cora responded with a devious grin on her face.

"Mommy, who is that?"

Cora and Emma both looked at Tristan shocked, "Honey, you can see her?" Tristan nodded her head, but continued to stare at Cora.

"She's beautiful, Emma."

Emma turned to her left and saw Henry Sr. smiling. Tristan saw him, but his smile comforted her and helped her relax. Emma smiled and looked at her daughter, "He's your Grandpa and she's your Grandma. They're your other Mommy's mommy and daddy."

Tristan's eyes grew wide and she wriggled indicating that she wanted to be put down so she could walk up to them. She approached Cora first and Cora kneeled down with a huge smile on her face and tears forming in her eyes. "Hello, Sweetheart. It's so nice to finally meet you." Tristan continued to study Cora so Cora continued, "You are so beautiful, Little Princess." That comment got a smile from Tristan.

"She called me a princess, Mommy!" She then dove into Cora's arms which caused Cora to gasp since she was a spirit and had no form. Just as Emma was about to quickly reach and grab Tristan, the little girl slammed into Cora who took on a solid form and was stunned. Her eyes bugged out as she was able to hold her granddaughter.

"Oh my God. I don't understand." Cora felt the little girl in her arms and happy tears streamed down her cheeks. Emma watched speechless and unable to come up with an explanation. Henry soon joined and wrapped his arms around his wife and granddaughter; his body just as solid.

Emma reached out and attempted to touch Henry's arm and it worked. She couldn't believe it. He turned and looked at her equally shocked and then released his hold on Cora and Tristan and moved to hug Emma, but he passed right through her. He looked down at his hands and then up to Emma confused. "I don't understand."

"I think I do." They both turned to Cora. "As long as you're touching Tristan, it'll work." Cora walked over to them. "Let's test my theory."

When Emma touched her daughter and then reached for Henry, she could touch him and vise versa. "Oh wow." Emma gulped.

Cora beamed at the little girl in her arms, "She's truly amazing."

"Emma, did you hear that sound?", Audrey walked into the bedroom. "Oh! I didn't realize we had company."

"Wait. Aud, you can see them?" Emma looked back and forth between Audrey and the Mills'. She simply nodded. Emma looked down at her daughter in absolute awe. "These are Regina's parents, Audrey." Emma watched as Audrey comprehended her words.

"Her parents? Her dead parents?" Audrey stared at the couple intrigued.

"Yep. Those are the ones. Apparently, Tristan has another ability." Audrey kept staring and nodding at Emma's comment. She didn't move any closer, deciding to stay near the exit as she was too weirded out by this.

"It's nice to meet you…I guess…" She directed her attention to Emma, "Soooo, I'm just gonna give you some privacy.", he thumb pointing behind her to indicate her quick exit and then he was gone.

Cora chuckled and then held out one hand and used her magic to create a flute. Tristan's eyes glowed as she watched the flute take shape. Cora knew of Emma and Tristan's talent from watching them in the spirit world. She wanted to contribute something.

"Look, Mommy! She made a flute!"

Emma smiled at Tristan's amazement. Cora sat her down and handed her the flute. "I believe you might be able to play this for me one day. I so love listening to the flute and was hoping you might learn something on it."

Tristan picked it up and felt the keys. She checked the alignment of the body with the head joint and foot and then checked the rod system. She was already familiar with the instrument from spending time with Emma while she worked at the music hall with the musicians. Tristan held up the instrument, aligning her lips to the lip piece and she blew out a note to test the sound. She always used the F chord as that was what she learned first. The sound was soothing; not too loud or soft. Cora smiled watching her granddaughter study the keys.

"Can I go play with this, Mommy?"

Emma nodded, but then added, "What do you say?" She stared at her daughter with a knowing look.

Tristan looked at Cora, "Thank you, Grandma." She hugged Cora and gave her a kiss on the cheek which shocked Emma. Tristan wasn't one to open up easily to others. The child then turned to Henry Sr., "Thank you, Grandpa." She hugged and kissed him as well and Emma could have been knocked over with a feather. Then Tristan was gone having run out of the room yelling through the house, "Gam Gams, look what I got!"

The Mills' just chuckled while Emma stood in stunned silence. Cora watched Emma and then noticed her forearm, "I see Rumple left you a 'parting gift'.

* * *

_KNOCK, KNOCK_

"Just a sec! Coming!" Snow sat her tea kettle down after removing it from the hot burner and wiped her hands before rushing to the door to answer it. She checked the peep hole and quickly opened the door with a gasp, "Oh my God, Blue! What happened to you?" Blue fell forwards and collapsed in Snow's arms.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Cora watched Emma and then noticed her forearm, "I see Rumple left you a 'parting gift'.

Emma looked down at her new 'tattoo' and sighed, "Yeah, I cast a spell before reading the rest of Rumple's letter and this happened." Emma touched the skin on her arm and then it hit her, "Wait. This is YOUR spell!"

Cora snorted, "It is. It was created for a different purpose. I never considered that it could be used for this though.", she stared at the dagger on Emma's arm. "How did you know it was mine?"

"I used a spell that Rumple gave me that gives me all of his knowledge." When Emma said that, she noticed Cora pale and then turn to Henry Sr. At first Emma was confused, but then a memory of Rumple's came to mind, "Holy shit! Cora! Seriously?"

Cora rolled her eyes and Henry Sr. looked down embarrassed so Emma continued, "Three different fathers?" She looked at Henry for an explanation.

Henry sighed, "Cora had a rough life before we married." He looked at Cora and smiled softly. "We met when I found her crying by a lakeside. She had just given up her baby and left her with the baby's father; her true love." Cora's eyes were beginning to fill with tears so Henry took her hand and kissed her knuckles in comfort. "Cora was shunned in her village when they found out that her baby was half dragon. She feared for her child as the people looked down at half breeds and viewed them as beasts that should be put down. Cora knew the baby would be protected with the father, but that she could not stay. She still wanted to make a better life for herself after her rough upbringing. She thought that if she had a better life, she could return to her child proud and give her a good life. When she left her baby, I then found her by the lake crying." He squeezed Cora's hand. "I knew I wanted to help this beautiful woman. We married soon after, but what I hadn't realized right away was that she had removed her heart to avoid the pain and loss of her first two children."

Emma nodded, "I'm so sorry about Zelena's father. I had no idea until I cast the spell Rumple left." Cora's tears fell, but she couldn't speak about Zelena's father. She had been raped when she was 15 years old while trying to sneak into a ball for some royals. The Duke of a far-off land felt entitled to any beautiful woman because of his status and that they should feel privileged to have him. Cora didn't want the baby that was the result of rape. She was worried she wouldn't look at it the same so she abandoned it as well.

"What about Rumple?", Emma asked.

Henry continued, "As you know, Rumple was training Cora and she had made a deal with Rumple for her first born. At that time, he wasn't aware of Cora's previous two daughters since he hadn't gained his powers as a Seer yet, so Cora slept with him to give him a child. I agreed to raise the child as my own as I wasn't able to have children myself. Doctor's had said my seed was of poor quality.", Henry blushed. "I wanted a child so bad and when Cora said she was pregnant, I didn't care how it happened. I just knew I would love it regardless." Cora smiled wide and chuckled.

"Because Cora didn't have her heart, she wasn't able to love Regina like she should so Regina also suffered greatly, but I tried to help her as much as I could. She was so beautiful and the spitting image of her beautiful mother. She was beautiful inside and out." He raised Cora's hand again and kissed it.

They were soon interrupted by an excited little girl, "Grandma! Grandma!" Tristan ran into the bedroom with her flute in hand.

Cora kneeled down and allowed the little girl to run into her arms, "What is it, Little Princess?"

"Watch!" Tristan then held the flute up to her lips and began playing several bars Syrinx by Claude Debussy.

Cora's eyes grew wide in amazement, "Incredible." Emma just smiled proudly as her daughter focused on her fingers.

All of the sudden, purple smoke appeared in the bedroom and when it cleared, a proud Queen was standing there.

Emma's eyes bugged out when she saw Regina in all her Evil Queen glory, "Regina?"

"Emma! My Darling, I…", Regina stopped talking when she saw her parents in the room. "Mother? Daddy?"

Tristan had stepped back staring at Regina in awe with her Evil Queen outfit. She ran up and hugged her second mother, "Gina!"

The Queen looked down and saw her daughter hugging her so she bent down as best she could in her gown and hugged her daughter back, "Hello, My Little Princess." She then looked up at her parents. "I don't understand." She looked to Emma for an explanation, but then remembered some memories from just the other night so she looked at Emma and asked, "Spirits?" Emma swallowed and then nodded as she winced. Regina was torn as to how to feel seeing them again. She had such guilt for what she did to her father and she didn't trust her mother.

Emma could see the war going on in the Queen's mind so she approached Regina and gently grabbed her arm to pull her over, "Regina, it's ok. Hey, look at me.", she used her hand to turn Regina's chin to face and away from her parents. "What's going on? What happened to you? Are you alright?"

Regina's eyes softened at Emma's concern for her and she raised her hand to grab Emma's softly. "Emma, there's so much I need to tell you. I don't know where to begin. I love you so much. I know I screwed up years ago, but I want to fix us."

Emma smiled apologetically, "Regina, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but it's not just what happened with Robin." Regina was confused so Emma continued, "There's still something you don't know, but it doesn't matter now anyway. It's done and over."

"Emma, I don't understand what you mean."

Emma took the hand that Regina was using to hold her own and moved it to her chest. She then looked at Tristan, "Sweetie, can you go ask Audrey when dinner will be ready?" She didn't want Tristan to see what was about to happen.

"Ok!" She ran out the room leaving the adults.

Regina stared at Emma waiting to see what she was going to do next so Emma spoke, "Remove my heart."

The Queen gasped and stepped back, "What? No!"

"It's ok. I just want you to see it. I trust you, Regina." Emma took hold of Regina's hand again, but this time it was cradled in both hands for reassurance.

Regina stared at the blonde stunned and unsure, but she could see the determined look in her eyes. She slowly pushed her hand into Emma's chest, but was careful not to cause her pain. When she pulled the heart out, her jaw dropped at what she was seeing. The heart was solid black onyx. It was heavy in her hand. "It's…stone!"

Emma swallowed hard, "As you can see, I've literally hardened my heart over the years after losing you twice. It was too much."

Regina looked up at that, "Twice? What do you mean?" Regina looked down at the heart again and noticed cracks in it that allowed for a faint red light to peak through. '_Is that the little amount of love she allows through?_' The Queen finally snapped out of her trance and placed the heart back into Emma's chest.

Emma bent over and gasped for air after regaining her heart. "Thanks."

Placing her hand on Emma's shoulder, the Queen asked, "What did you mean by 'twice', Emma?"

Emma stood up and nervously smiled, "It doesn't matter now." Emma stepped back and walked over to her bed to sit down, but she saw that Regina's parents were still standing there watching the scene. Regina couldn't see them now though since Tristan was no longer in the room. Regina seemed to have forgotten about them though since she was staring at Emma and following her to the bedside.

Emma stared at the Queen and was so confused with Regina's new look, "Regina, what's with the new look?"

Before Regina could answer, another cloud of purple smoke appeared leaving Henry and a normal looking Regina bent over him with a worried expression.

Emma was confused, "Um, Regina?"

"EMMA! IT'S HENRY! HELP!"

Emma flew off the bed and ran over to them. When Henry looked up and opened his eyes, she saw the red color and protruding fangs. Emma paled, "Shit." Emma held out her hand and used her magic to summon a cup of blood she had from the fridge. She held the coffee cup up to Henry's lips, "Henry, look at me. Drink this."

Henry sipped at the cup at first and then quickly took large gulps greedily. The Queen stood in the background, concerned for her son, but stayed back. Regina held her son and stroked his hair as he began to calm down and the fangs receded. When the red glow disappeared, the moms breathed a sigh of relief.

Once Henry's breathing normalized, Emma stepped back and was furious, "How did this happen? Who did this?" Emma's eyes began to glow red as magic rose from her skin. The Queen walked up next to Emma and grabbed Emma's arm, "Calm down, Darling."

Regina saw this and her jealousy flared, "What are you doing here? Get away from her!"

Emma snapped out of her rage, but her eyes remained red when she addressed the women, "How are there two of you?" She looked at her son, "Never mind. That can wait. Who did this to Henry?"

"Blue. She set a trap for the vampires at the convent to separate their vampire selves from their bodies, but as you can see, Henry became the vessel for them and it separated me into my light and dark half.", She rambled in frustration.

Tristan ran back into the room at this point which meant Regina's parents were now visible again. When Tristan saw her brother, she became excited, "Hen Hen!", but then she noticed two Reginas. "Um, two Gina's?"

Cora walked up to her granddaughter and picked her up, "How about we go see what Audrey is making for dinner, Little Princess?" She knew Tristan shouldn't witness what was about to be said. Regina saw her parents now for the first time and became ashen. "Mother? Daddy?" She walked up to Henry and he held out his arms. She fell into his arms and cried, "I'm so sorry, Daddy. I love you so much. I'm so so sorry."

Henry Sr. just kissed her hair, "It's okay, Sweetheart. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. I love you so much."

Cora watched this with tears in her eyes. She knew how close Regina was to Henry. She also knew she and Regina would need a long talk to discuss things, but this wasn't the time.

Henry Sr finally stepped back to look at his daughter, "You have such a beautiful family, Regina. I'm so proud of you." That got Regina choked up.

"Henry, Dear, we should give them some privacy. We can catch up later. Why don't we go downstairs to see what's cooking?"

Henry Sr nodded and then kissed Regina's forehead, "We'll chat later, my Dear. Promise." He then walked away to follow Cora.

While both Regina's watched their parents leave, Emma realized the dagger on her arm was still showing. '_Thank God they were too distracted to notice it_.' She used her magic along with Rumple's knowledge to quickly conceal the marking. Once swiping her other hand along her forearm, her pale skin was all that showed.

"Regina"

Both women turned to her and responded, "Yes." Then they glared at each other annoyed.

Emma rolled her eyes, "Wasn't Mal with you?"

When both women looked at each other, Emma grew worried, "Please tell me she's alright.", she swallowed hard. Emma had formed a strong bond with Mal and wouldn't handle it well if something happened to her.

Both women helped Henry into a chair and rubbed his back. Then the Queen answered for the both of them, "She was shot with a silver bullet by Blue I believe. She stopped breathing and…"

Emma noticed how nervous both Reginas were getting. "SHE'S DEAD?!"

"NO!", the light Regina quickly responded. "She's fine now." She then looked down at the floor, unable to look at Emma for the next part.

"What aren't you telling me?" Emma watched both ladies fidget in place, unable to look her in the eye. "TELL ME!"

They both jumped and the Queen stiffened as she looked up, "I, we, well, kissed Mal on the forehead and she came back to life and regained her dragon powers." The Queen stepped quickly towards Emma and put her arms on Emma's shoulder, "I swear I don't love her that way, Emma! I don't understand how it happened because you are my True Love." She had tears in her eyes worried about Emma's response after what happened before with Robin.

Emma's expression changed to a soft, kind smile and she put her hand on the Queen's cheek, cupping it as she spoke, "I know, Regina. I know. Mal's curse can't be broken by a kiss from a romantic True Love. It has to be familial love. You broke your sister's curse."

The Queen stared at Emma and the other Regina walked up to stand next to her other self. "What do you mean, sister? Zelena is my sister."

Emma nodded, "She is, but so is Mal. Did you notice how much she resembled you when her dragon powers were removed? That's because she took on her mother's characteristics. When her dragon returned, so did her father's characteristics."

Emma was about to continue so she could explain how they were related, but she then doubled over in pain and gasped. "FUCK!"

"EMMA!" Both Regina's bent down to help her and Henry came running over as well. The light Regina then spoke up, "What is it, Darling? What's wrong?"

Emma's eyes were pinched closed in pain and then she regulated her breathing through her nose, "Someone's breaking into the Dark One's vault. I have to go."

The Queen's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, "Dark One vault? What has that got to do with you? How do you know this?"

Emma finally stood up straight once the pain subsided, "It was passed to me in Rumple's will."

Emma then summoned her magic, about to teleport, but light Regina grabbed her arms, "Let me come with you. You can't go alone."

"I appreciate the offer, but you need to stay here with our children." Emma knew Regina was about to protest so she spoke again, "Protect them. Tell Audrey what happened to Henry so she can help him further. What I did was a quick fix. He'll need help adjusting to this and until I return, Audrey is the next best thing right now since Mal is gone."

The Queen then stepped forwards, "Then I'll go with you."

Emma huffed, "You both need to stay. You are two sides of the same coin. He needs you both and to be honest, I don't know what I'd do if something happened to either of you. You both create the woman that I've always loved and admired. I love both the light and dark sides of Regina so you both need to remain safe. The two of you create the perfect woman to me." Emma then winked and quickly disappeared in her magic.

The Queen turned around to look at Regina and her son, "Emma said something before you arrived. She said she lost us twice. What did she mean?", she glared at her light self as if she was to blame.

Regina felt Henry stiffen in her arms when the question had been asked and she looked at her son in confusion, "Henry?"

Henry closed his eyes and then stood up, "We should go downstairs with the others so that I can speak with Audrey."

He began to walk towards to the door, but was stopped by 'the mom tone', "Henry Daniel Mills you will stop right there!" Henry stopped and slowly turned around, bracing himself to face his mother times two.

* * *

David came rushing inside the apartment once he received a panicked call from Snow. When he opened the door, Snow was pacing around the living room so he rushed over to her. "Where is she?"

Snow looked at him and pointed to a spare room door. He walked over, opened the door, and gasped at what he saw. Blue's burned skin had large, oozing blisters all over it and blood was slowly running from her eyes and ears. David wanted to throw up at the sight. He quietly closed the door and then walked back into the living room, "What happened?"

Snow shook her head, "She wasn't making any sense when she arrived. I think her pain was too great. She kept saying she did it for me and the good of the royal family. Something about Emma and the Evil Queen. I tried to treat her wounds, but they keep reappearing. I don't know what to do."

David took a deep breath, "The convent was attacked. Witnesses say they saw two dragons. When I got there, Regina told me to take care of the vampires she had restrained with magic and then disappeared with Henry who was looking ill. I don't know what happened there. I arrested the men, but they keep screaming about Blue turning their friend into a frog. I'm so confused." He scratched the back of his head and hoped Snow would have something to contribute.

"Wait. Regina was there with Henry?", Snow asked. "She interrupted my picnic with Emma because she said Henry was missing. Then Mal came and said Lily was missing and they all disappeared."

David grabbed Snow's arm, "I thought Emma told us that Mal's dragon was removed. How are there dragons and if one of them is Mal, who is the second one?"

"AHHHHHHHHHH"

The Charmings jumped and ran to Blue's room. When they entered, Blue's skin was now sloughing off her arms and her magic began sparking. Blue's eyes were squeezed shut as she tried to concentrate and calm her magic, but the pain was making it difficult. "Snow, I need you to kill me."

Snow's hand covered her mouth in disbelief. "What? I can't do that!"

"Please, Snow! I can't live like this!"

Snow shook her head, "I can't do that. There must be a way to fix this."

Blue struggled to speak because the pain was just too great, but she managed to continue, "There is no fixing this. The spell used causes the wounds to reappear once they begin to heal. Eventually they will get worse. Please." She then looked up at David, "Use your sword."

David continued to keep his arms around Snow while staring at Blue, "Are you sure?"

Snow stepped out of David's arms, "David! You can't seriously be considering this!"

David nodded, "She's suffering, Snow. That's obviously the goal of the spell that was used on her. We can't let her continue to suffer." He began to leave the room so he could retrieve his sword, but Snow quickly followed him.

"This isn't right, David! You can't do this. She's our friend."

David sighed, "You heard her, Snow. There's no cure for this. She will continue to be in pain if we don't end her suffering. I know it's difficult, but we need to respect her wishes." He pulled his sword from its scabbard and then looked up the stairs towards his son's room, "Where's Neal? Why don't you stay with him while I deal with this?"

Still crying, Snow shook her head, "He's at Granny's house." She cupped David's face, "Please don't do this."

He shook his head and stepped away leaving his wife standing in the living room. Snow felt like she had a boulder in her throat, she was crying to hard. Her entire body was shaking as she continued to shake her head in disbelief and dropping to her knees in devastation.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Previously on Love Bites:

The Queen turned around to look at Regina and her son, "Emma said something before you arrived. She said she lost us twice. What did she mean?", she glared at her light self as if she was to blame.

Regina felt Henry stiffen in her arms when the question had been asked and she looked at her son in confusion, "Henry?"

Henry closed his eyes and then stood up, "We should go downstairs with the others so that I can speak with Audrey."

He began to walk towards to the door, but was stopped by 'the mom tone', "Henry Daniel Mills you will stop right there!" Henry stopped and slowly turned around, bracing himself to face his mother times two.

* * *

_BUZZ BUZZ_

Regina pulled her cell phone out from her pocket to see Snow trying to call her. Rolling her eyes, she declined the call and looked back up at Henry who was now slowly walking back towards her without making eye contact.

_BUZZ BUZZ_

Looking at her cell she sees it's Snow again. "Not now, Snow." She presses the red 'decline' button and looks back up to see the Queen staring at her. "What?"

The Queen sneers at her, "You're pathetic. Friends with the enemy. She should be dead!"

_BEEP BEEP_

The sound alerting Regina to a text message has her checking her phone again to see Snow's name on the home screen. '_What the hell is going on?_' She slides open her iPhone and reads the message, concerned that Snow is so adamant on reaching her. Once read, her face looks up at the Queen with a scolding expression.

The Queen now looks confused, "What?"

Regina huffs, "What did you do to the Blue Fairy? What spell was it that you used?"

The Queen looks legitimately confused, "I did nothing to that gnat. I haven't seen her to have to the chance. She should be glad I haven't found her yet."

Regina then looks to Henry and then back to her phone to read the text message, "911! Regina, I need your help! Answer your phone! Blue is here and Charming is about to kill her because her body keeps injuring itself, healing, and then getting injured again."

The Queen's eyes grow wide and she looks around the room and then closes her eyes. She raises her hands and slowly released a thin stream of purple magic which travels around the room and tries to flow through the walls. When it comes into contact with the walls, its color changes to a pale lilac. Dropping her arms, she sighs and looks down at the floor, "It's a protection spell. A nasty one at that. The Prostatévo."

Regina swallowed hard, remembering when her mother used that spell when she was little. "H-How? Did Mother do it?"

The Queen shook her head, "The magic is light magic."

Regina's expression went from confusion to realization, "Emma! How did she know about it?"

The Queen gave her a 'really?' type of expression, "Mother is here, isn't she?"

Just then, Regina's phone buzzed again so she answered it, "Hello, Snow. Yes, I just read your text."

The Queen was listening to Regina's answers, but decided she couldn't pass up this chance to get even with Blue. She interrupted Regina's phone call and turned to Henry, "This discussion isn't over, my little Prince. I will return once I've dealt with the blue fly.", then the Queen was gone in a puff of purple magic.

"No! Wait!" Regina yelled to try and stop her alter ego, but it was too late. "Snow! You're about to have a visitor. No. The Evil Queen." Then Regina heard Snow scream so she ended the call. "Henry, stay in this house. I'll be back soon. Just go downstairs with the others until I return." Henry simply nodded and watched his mother disappear. He breathed out a sigh of relief that he avoided the conversation.

* * *

Charming came running out of the bedroom after hearing his wife scream. Seeing the Evil Queen made him lift his sword in her direction.

"It would seem you're harboring a criminal in this hovel of yours, Dear.", the Queen glared at Snow.

Regina then arrived behind the Queen, "That's enough!"

"What is going on here?!", Snow screeched seeing two Reginas.

The Queen ignored Snow's question and addressed her 'good' self, "We both know Blue needs to be held accountable for what she did to us. We also know that I should be the one to do it since you're …", the Queen looked Regina up and down, "you."

Charming held his sword up to The Queen's neck, "You're not going anywhere." He then turned to Regina, "What's going on? How did this happen?"

The Queen disappeared and reappeared in the room where Blue was. She found the fairy hyperventilating, sweating, and moaning in agony. "Well, well, well. Look what we have here."

Blue recognized that voice and struggled to open her eyes that were squeezed shut so tightly. "What do you want?"

"Answers.", the Queen growled out.

"I've got nothing to say to you." She struggled to answer. It didn't have the snappiness that she wanted as she was so focused on her pain.

The Queen walked up to Blue and waved her hand over Blue's body, from head to toe. The pain the fairy was feeling dissipated and she blinked in shock. Blue raised her hands and saw that the skin was still peeling itself off down to the bone, but she felt nothing.

"I can stop your pain if you just answer some questions.", The Queen offered with a sly grin.

Blue studied her reoccurring injuries in shock, "This shouldn't be possible. There's no cure for this hideous spell."

The Queen's smile grew, "You're right. There isn't. There is, however, a spell that can remove the suffering on the victim."

"You're lying. There is not spell for that.", Blue snapped out.

"You feel nothing. I believe that proves that there is." The Queen then waved her hands again and Blue's pain returned. She screamed out in agony alerting the others in the living room. The Charmings and Regina ran into the room, but were frozen in place by the Queen's magic. "That's far enough." She then turned to Blue. "It's getting too crowded in here. Let's go somewhere else to…chat." The Queen snapped her fingers and Blue disappeared. She then turned to the horrified group, "I will deal with the rest of you later." She was gone in seconds.

* * *

Emma arrived at Rumple's vault and could already smell intruders, "Well someone was obviously here.", she sighed and walked in. She was surprised that there were no locks on the doors, "What the fuck, Bobbie? No security?"

"That would require magic which died with me, Dearie."

Emma whipped around at the familiar voice, "Holy shit!" She grabbed her chest and bent over taking a deep breath. "Don't scare me like that!" She stood back up and rolled her eyes, "I was wondering when your spirit was gonna show up." She walked over to a chair and sat down, bending down so her elbows were on her knees, a sign of how emotionally exhausted she was. "You've got a lot of explaining to do. I mean, what the fuck, Bobbie?!

"You always had a way with words, Emma." He walked over and sat in the chair next to her. "I had no choice. I knew I had to make sure everyone was cared for and that you were aware of the threat to the town. When I was murdered, I could at least rest easy knowing you would take care of things."

Emma sat up at that, "Murdered?"

"Yes. I realized it once I drank my tea. Belle and I were having our usual afternoon tea outside under her favorite cherry blossom tree. I noticed that the tea tasted strange, but by then it was too late. I had already swallowed some of it. The way my body reacted to it told me that I had been poisoned by sulfur shelf mushrooms. While benign to most, it is deadly to ones whose bodies harbor magic. I wasn't able to alert Belle because it had already incapacitated me."

Emma stared at the floor absorbing the information, "Christ, Bobbie, who did it?"

Staring at Emma, he grinned, "You haven't called me Bobbie since our last lesson."

Emma refused to make eye contact with him. She looked everywhere, but at his eyes. "Yeah, well, that happens when you wake up naked next to someone and have no memories of how it happened.", she snapped. Emma was torn because she had cared for him. She used to meet with him for secret magic lessons in order to impress Regina.

"You never did like calling me by my real name, Dearie. Why is that?"

Emma rolled her eyes, "It just sounded weird. Your cursed name was easier for me.", she shrugged.

"My cursed name was Robert Gold, not Bobbie Gold.", he chuckled.

Shrugging, Emma stood up and began walking around, taking inventory of all the items on the floor and on the shelves. With Rumple's memories, she knew what should be kept in his vault. Deciding to change the subject, Emma noted, "Everything's here. I don't see anything missing."

"Of course not, Dearie. They were probably after the dagger."

Emma stared down at her forearm and removed the spell hiding her dagger mark. Rumple then walked up and stared at the new tattoo, "They'll be coming for you next once they find out you have it."

Sighing, Emma shook her head, "They're already after me. They're after my loved ones. Did you know they went after Regina? How would they know about her?"

Rumple closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "I'm afraid you have Hook to thank for that. I believe he was the one responsible for my poisoning. I have no proof, but I was doing my own investigation on his escape and the vampires."

"So your letters said." Looking around, Emma held out her hands and gray magic began swirling from her palms. Gradually, all the magical items tossed on the floor were back in their proper place."

Rumple smiled, proud of his former student, "You've done well with your magic, Emma. I thought you'd be rusty having been away from Storybrooke for so long."

Emma gave a cocky smirk, "Even after I stopped coming to our lessons, I still practiced, Bobbie." Emma's expression then grew serious. "I still have no memories of that night."

Rumple nodded, "Nor do I." Clearing his throat, Rumple then looked around, "We should still check all the nooks and crannies for missing items." Emma nodded and began checking all drawers and cabinets.

An hour later, Emma was finishing up when she noticed one last cabinet that she hadn't checked. When she opened the double doors, her color went pale. Swallowing hard, she turned to Rumple, "Bobbie, please tell me I'm remembering wrong. Please tell me you did not keep a weapon like that in here!"

Rumple walked up and saw the empty cabinet as he began shaking his head in disbelief, "Oh no. Em, I had forgotten about it. I…"

"WHY WOULD YOU KEEP THAT THING?!" Emma was pacing and running her hands through her hair. "This changes everything. Now we have to worry about the entire town, not just our loved ones." She punched a hole into the stone wall next to the cabinet, watching as her blood ran down the jagged stones below. She then turned to Rumple, "Wait, they need magic to use it. They have none."

Rumple nodded, "That's true, but that also means they'll be looking for someone powerful enough to activate it."

They both looked at the floor in thought and then both looked at each other, simultaneously yelling at their concern, "REGINA!"

* * *

_A/N: Short and sweet chapter just to get the story moving a little bit. Sorry for the long delays. Life has kept me very busy, but I'm trying to get more chapters completed and uploaded. Fear not, no stories abandoned here. My goal will be longer chapters in the future and get things moving along again. Just had to get this story to a certain point. Hang in there! It'll be worth it. I promise. _


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 19

A/N: I know, I suck. It's been awhile. Life has gotten in the way, but no story is abandoned. I'll try to be better with updates.

* * *

Previously on Love Bites:

An hour later, Emma was finishing up when she noticed one last cabinet that she hadn't checked. When she opened the double doors, her color went pale. Swallowing hard, she turned to Rumple, "Bobbie, please tell me I'm remembering wrong. Please tell me you did not keep a weapon like that in here!"

Rumple walked up and saw the empty cabinet as he began shaking his head in disbelief, "Oh no. Em, I had forgotten about it. I…"

"WHY WOULD YOU KEEP THAT THING?!" Emma was pacing and running her hands through her hair. "This changes everything. Now we have to worry about the entire town, not just our loved ones." She punched a hole into the stone wall next to the cabinet, watching as her blood ran down the jagged stones below. She then turned to Rumple, "Wait, they need magic to use it. They have none."

Rumple nodded, "That's true, but that also means they'll be looking for someone powerful enough to activate it."

They both looked at the floor in thought and then both looked at each other, simultaneously yelling at their concern, "REGINA!"

* * *

"I have to go. Something happened earlier and now Regina is…" Emma began to leave the vault.

"Wait!"

Emma turned to Rumple rolling her eyes at being delayed, "What?"

"We still need to discuss the fact that the dagger in its entirety has been sealed in you."

With a heavy sigh, Emma answered, "Later. I need to find Regina first". She quickly ran out the door after. Rumple just stood there shaking his head as he turned to look back at the empty space that housed the missing item. His eyebrow furrowed in worry as he simply whispered "what have I done?"

* * *

_1 week later_

Emma had been exhausted. After returning from the vault a week ago, she learned what happened at the convent with Henry and Regina and then what had happened at her parents' place. Emma hadn't slept at all after that. A curfew had been put in place for all of Storybrooke; no one out after sundown. Emma thought Henry should stay with her because of his new transformation, but Regina refused to be separated from him so now Emma has a full house which includes Tristin, Audrey, Regina, Henry, and Roland.

Emma spent nights patrolling the streets and looking for Hook, Russell or any other vampires, but the town remained quiet. To quiet in Emma's opinion. Not even a scent to follow. She searched during the day for Regina's other half and Blue which also hadn't been seen since the incident in Snow's apartment. Slowly closing her eyes, Emma began thinking about how different her life could've been had Regina chosen her. Tears gradually fell down her cheeks and suddenly she felt the soft touch of fingers wiping the tears away and soft plump limps grazing over hers. Eyes still closed, she gave into the kiss, inhaling deeply as she reached a hand up to cup the cheek of her comforter.

Pulling back from the kiss, Emma slowly opened her eyes to a blurry Queen smiling down at her with tears in her own eyes. "Hello, My Darling".

While surprised, Emma was too tired to react so she simply laid there and stared in confusion. "If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up".

The Queen's smile grew, touched by the sentiment, "This is no dream, Darling. This could be a reality every day for us. She cupped Emma's cheek as Emma leaned into her hand and closed her eyes causing more tears to spill.

"I'm so tired, Regina. I'm physically and emotionally drained."

"I know, Sweetheart. Let me help you. Let me be with you."

Taking a deep breath, Emma pulled away and sat up in the bed getting a better look at Regina's other half. "Where's Blue?"

Pursing her lips, the Queen pulled a vial from the pocket of her leather jacket. It glowed with a bright blue powder inside. Emma's eyes blew wide, "That's Blue? How?"

The Queen grinned wickedly, "I put her out of her misery, Dear. She begged me to do it." Before Emma could berate her, she continued, "She was going to die anyway. I needed information from her and when she gave it to me, I killed her. Once a fairy dies, she's transformed back to her original and simplest form; fairy dust".

Emma just stared in wonder at the vial. She had heard from Regina about Blue's condition in Snow's apartment, but felt no remorse about it. The spell was used to protect her family and she'd never regret that.

Emma sighed heavily and began to get out of bed, "We've had this discussion, Regina. Besides, aren't you supposed to be the evil counterpart incapable of love after you were split?" Hands on her hips now, she was sure she had caught the Queen off guard with that comment, but little did she know.

The Queen stood up, taking Emma's hands in her own. She looked down to their joined hands and swallowed hard. "I'd like to tell you a story. Please?" Queens do not beg, but after her talks with Blue, she needed Emma to understand. Seeing the seriousness in her expression, Emma nodded and followed her back to the bed to sit down.

"When I was a little girl, roughly 12 years old, I became close with the daughter of the cook in our castle. Her name was Hanna. I was careful to only meet her when mother was not around. She would never allow her daughter to socialize with peasants." The Queen stared across the room at the wall, trying to keep her anger at bay. Then she continued, "Our friendship grew over the next 4 years until one day I kissed her. An innocent friendship turned to first love. When I was 15 years old, mother had hired a stable boy named Daniel."

Emma interrupted, "I know about Daniel".

The Queen cut her off, "You know of him, not about him. Not the real story." She glared at Emma as if daring her to contradict her again, but she stayed silent so the Queen continued. "Daniel knew about Hanna and I and would help us meet in secret from Mother." The Queen smiled at the memories, but her expression became serious once more. "One day, while meeting with Hanna at the lake, I heard a girl's screams. It was your Mother on her runaway horse. I wasn't completely dressed as Hanna and I were in the lake messing around." Emma choked a bit at that. "I quickly dressed and jumped on my horse to save her. What I didn't know was that my Mother had been watching from a distance because she had caused the horse to spook. She had anticipated me coming from the stables, not the lake. While I was saving Snow, she had gone to the lake and discovered Hanna still there."

Emma's heart was racing at this point. Her eyes blown with worry how this was going to end. The Queen continued though, "As you know, I was promised to the King after I rescued Snow, but upon returning home, Hanna and her mother were gone. I didn't know what had happened, but was distraught with worry. I ran to Daniel, but he hadn't seen anything. I was so angry thinking Hanna had left without saying goodbye. Daniel had been a huge comfort to me as he understood my pa, "in. He had admitted to me that he was in love with me, but knew my interests lied elsewhere." The Queen blushed and looked away momentarily before continuing, "Daniel said that even though he knew I could never be in love with him, he still wanted to take care of me. He'd rather have part of me instead of none of me." Tears began running down the Queen's cheeks, "You know how that ended the night we tried to run away together."

Emma waited a minute before finally responding, "I'm so sorry that happened to you, but what does that have to do with anything?"

The Queen wiped her tears away and continued, "After marrying the king, I discovered that Hanna and her mother were working in the White castle. I couldn't believe it. Hanna was assigned as my handmaiden and had confided that my mother had fired her mother on the spot without explanation and asked them to leave. I didn't care at that point. I was just so relieved that I had found her. We began an affair in secret. To protect my identity, I used a glamour each time we met. I couldn't risk the King finding out. You see, the White Kingdom is very conservative in their thinking. Homosexuality is viewed as impure in a pure Kingdom. People caught in same sex relationships are viewed as cursed and often burned at the stake to remove the so-called curse." The Queen bristled at the memories. "People who are accused of being sexually cursed are called Specters." Emma raised an eyebrow at that, but she continued her story, "One morning, the King came to my chambers and informed me that a Specter was discovered in his castle."

Emma's head whipped up at that, panic in her eyes. She already knew where this was going. The Queen nodded in confirmation. "I followed him to pulpit of the castle and there down below was Hanna tied to stakes and the townspeople surrounding her." The Queen's hands were shaking at this point so Emma reached over and wrapped her hands around them. The Queen swallowed, but continued, "The King announced to the villagers that the Princess had seen Hanna with a woman and that Hanna would not reveal the identity of her lover. He then asked her lover to reveal herself of he'd light the stakes. Hanna looked up at me and stared into my eyes while she cried. She very subtly shook her head begging me to stay silent. I didn't know what to do! I saw the hatred in everyone's faces and the King's eyes searched all around trying to see if he could glean a suspect and like a coward, I just looked at the floor and stayed silent. Soon after, I could hear Hanna's screams as her body burned."

Silence took over the room for more than 10 minutes as Emma held the Queen in her arms and rocked her back and forth. Hearing this story helps to explain Snow's comments about homosexuality while she was Mary Margaret. It also caused her heart to sink because she knew her mother's thinking wasn't because of the Dark Curse, it was what she truly believed. If Snow ever found out about Emma and Tristan, she'd also be a Specter in her mother's eyes. Clearing her throat, Emma half asked in confirmation, "So Snow….my mother?"

"Whatever spell Blue had used to split the vampirism from those men, it caused myself to split, but not in a good/evil way. It has allowed my strong and brave half to split from my weak and scared half. Your Regina chose Robin in fear. Now that we are split, I can choose for myself. No fear. I choose you." The Queen was resolute.

Emma just stared at her in shock. "But, your soul mate is…."

"NOT ROBIN!" The Queen was breathing hard and in anger, a fireball formed in her hand which she threw at the vile of fairy dust now lying on the floor. Glaring at the burning fairy dust, she took spit out, "Blue made a deal with Robin back when I was married to the King. Robin wanted me and she knew I wanted my True Love so she arranged for the fairy dust that Tink used that night to point me to Robin. Blue told me that she knew of our future bond and being a fairy of the White Kingdom, she wanted to keep the royal line pure so she made sure the dust that Tink stole to use for me was actually her own Blue dust."

Emma's face grew redder in anger, "Did Snow know about this?"

The Queen shook her head, "No, she did not. I knew something had to be wrong for Robin to be my soul mate so I made a deal with Blue. I'd put her out of her misery from your protection spell if she answered my questions."

Emma paced around her room in thought, her fist in front of her mouth as she hummed a soft tune. She needed her music, she needed to relax. Biting her thumb nail she looked worriedly at the Queen, "Does all of Storybrooke think that way?" She gulped in anticipation of the answer.

The Queen rushed over to her and grabbed Emma's cheeks so that she was looking right at her, "No, Darling. Only those from the White Kingdom. All other Kingdoms accepted it and for many, it was considered as normal as heterosexuality. They thought that everyone had a 50% chance of liking either sex".

Emma stared into her eyes, looking for any lie, but could find none. Pursing her lips, she then asked, "What percentage of Storybrooke do you think is from the White Kingdom?" Emma was very worried for her daughter. She had never cared what people thought of her, but if people think homosexuality is impure, what would they think of Tristan?

The Queen seemed to understand the hidden concern in her question so she leaned forward and softly kissed her lips before leaning back and answering, "Tristan is safe. I won't allow any harm to come to her. Roughly 25% of Storybrooke consists of White Kingdom villagers. I don't think they would harm either of you because you are royalty. They would look to Snow and Blue for guidance".

Emma snorted at that, "And what would my mother do to us?" It was a rhetorical question of course, but part of her wondered what the answer would be. "Wait, what about my father? He knows everything, but he seems fine with it."

The Queen dropped her hands and began pacing, "Yes, well…perhaps he isn't as much of an idiot as I gave him credit for." Emma rolled her eyes at that. "He was a shepherd from another Kingdom so I imagine he still keeps a more open mind".

"Will my mother ever accept me? Will she accept Tristan?" Emma was looking out the window staring towards the town. Not once did she blink until she heard the Queen's answer.

"I don't know".

Emma disappeared in a poof of purple and gray magic leaving the Queen alone in her bedroom. Shocked, the Queen was about to try and follow when her daughter made an appearance. Tristan opened the bedroom door and peaked her head slowly thinking her mother was asleep as she whispered, "Mommy?" When she saw The Queen her eyes lit up. She ran over to her other mother taking in her regal attire, "Gina!" She grabbed the Queen's leg, hugging her with all her might.

The Queen melted at the site and picked up the little girl to hold her closer. "Oh, my Darling, I love you so much. How are you doing, my little princess?"

Ignoring the question, Tristan noticed the empty bed over the Queen's shoulder while hugging her, "Where's Mommy?"

The Queen leaned back to look at her daughter, "She just left, Sweetheart. I'm not sure where she went."

Tristan huffed, "I wanna show her what I just learned to play. Did she go play her music again?"

The Queen's ears perked at this information. "Her music? What do you mean, Sweetheart?"

"When Mommy gets upset or can't sleep, she goes to play her music."

The Queen thought about what the toddler meant and realized she was right about her _ghost_. Setting the child down, she kissed her daughter's cheek and smiled, "How about I go find her and bring her back so you can show her what you learned?"

Excitement bubbled in the little girl, "Okay! I'll go practice!" She ran out of the room anxious to find her instrument. The Queen watched until she was gone and then disappeared to find her Soul Mate.

* * *

When she reappeared in the clock tower, there was Emma sitting at the piano playing a Rondo by Mozart so loud and so intensely that The Queen thought the keys would crack from the power. She didn't want to startle her can cause her to leave so she waited and allowed Emma to work out her stress. When the song was finally finished, Emma leaned onto the keys and rested her head on the rack. Her breathing eventually slowed down and the tense muscles in her back began to relax.

That's when she felt a soft touch on her shoulder which caused her to sit up and look at her intruder. She found a soft face smiling at her in wonderment. "That was amazing, Emma. Why do you hide such a beautiful gift?"

Emma looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Panic overtook her whole body and she broke into a cold sweat. Her respirations increased and she felt nauseous. She knew this feeling well. She was about to have a panic attack. Her eyes scanned the room wildly and when she didn't find what she needed, she held out her hand and conjured a small waste bucket which she immediately began vomiting into.

Rubbing her back, the Queen was at a loss of what just occurred. What caused this reaction in her beloved? She held Emma's hair back for her with one hand while the other rubbed soothing circles on her back and whispered that she was okay. "Sweetheart, what's wrong? What happened? Talk to me. What can I do to help?" Emma just kept dry heaving and shaking her head silently.

After calming down, Emma leaned back on the piano bench and took a series of deep, slow breaths. The Queen could just make out the whispering, crying words of "Please don't hurt me, please don't be mad" during Emma's episode. She kneeled down in front of Emma, chuckling to herself how her mother would be furious at her for kneeling for anyone. She waited for Emma to calm down a little more and then finally spoke up, "Darling, what happened?" She cupped Emma's face again and Emma's tears fell without her permission.

"I don't play for others because when I was little, I would be beaten or worse when I was caught. I was told I was terrible and my music made their ears bleed."

The Queen's heart broke at hearing this and she took Emma into her arms, "Oh my Dear, they were wrong. Your music is magic, actual magic. I've never heard anything more beautiful." She chuckled then and looked at Emma, "Our daughter has inherited your wonderful gift and was anxious to play something for you earlier. I promised to

bring you to her so please don't make me a liar." Emma chuckled at that.

The Queen happened to look down at Emma's hands and that's when she noticed Emma's arm where the dagger had been sealed, "What is that?"

Emma looked down and noticed that the dagger tattoo had reappeared, but it was also no longer a dagger, it was a series of blue ornate swirls that spanned the length of her arm up to her shoulder. "What the fuck?", Emma squealed. Just then, the patterns glowed a bright purple and the Queen quickly moved back unsure of what was happening. The skin on Emma's arm began to rise as she just stared in disbelief. Soon, bones raised from the purple magic until they were covered with black feathers. "Wings?" The wings extended from her forearm and flapped until soon, a crow's head emerged from her forearm. Within a minute, a black crow with red eyes was sitting on the music rack of the piano staring back at Emma. "What the hell are you?"

The Queen had a ball of fire in her hand ready to launch in the background while waiting to see how things unfolded.

The crow stared at Emma and then spoke, "I'm Tenebrous. You know me as the Dark One." Emma's jaw dropped as she looked from the crow to her forearm and then to the crow again.

"What the hell? How are you there?" Emma replayed Bobbie's earlier words of the dagger, in its entirety, being sealed in her. _What did he mean by that?_

"Just because you sealed me in you doesn't mean I can't come out occasionally. My life may be bound to yours and my powers may be sealed, but I can still come out to play, Savior."

Emma was still in shock, but gathered her wits about her, "Are you kidding me? I have to deal with you too now? What do you want?"

The crow stared a little longer and finally answered, "I'm hungry."


End file.
